HomeMy WebLinkAbout65-23 RESOLUTION0
113 West Mountain Street
Fayetteville, AR 72701
(479) 575-8323
Resolution: 65-23
File Number: 2023-433
PARK AND RECREATION SYSTEM MASTER PLAN:
A RESOLUTION TO APPROVE AND ADOPT AN UPDATED PARK AND RECREATION SYSTEM MASTER
PLAN
WHEREAS, on February 19ta, 2002, the City Council approved Resolution 30-02 approving a ten yew Master Plan
with Guiding Policies and Implementation Strategies; and
WHEREAS, much has changed since that document was adopted, including acquiring new parks, and an increase in
population; and
WHEREAS, the Park and Recreation System Master Plan serves as a visionary document to guide investments,
improvements and growth of the park system and programs.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE,
ARKANSAS:
Section l: That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby approves and adopts the new Park and
Recreation System Master Street Plan, a copy of which is attached to this Resolution.
PASSED and APPROVED on March 7, 2023
Page 1
Attest:
CITY OF
W41iFAYETTEVILLE
ARKANSAS
MEETING OF MARCH 7, 2023
CITY COUNCIL MEMO
TO: Mayor Jordan and City Council
THRU: Susan Norton, Chief of Staff
FROM: Alison Jumper, Director of Parks, Natural Resources and Cultural Affairs
DATE:
SUBJECT: Park and Recreation System Master Plan
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the Park and Recreation System Master Plan.
BACKGROUND:
2023-433
The current Park and Recreation System Master Plan was adopted in 2002. Much has changed since that
document was adopted. The city has grown by over 33,000 people, we've acquired new parks, started new
programs and have completed the majority of action items included in the 2002 plan. Recognizing the need to
develop a vision for the park system that aligns with our current citizenry, Park staff began community
engagement efforts for the new plan in 2018. A contract with planning consultants Design Workshop, was
approved in 2020, when engagement efforts picked back up.
Over 2,500 people have contributed to the content of this plan in focus groups, community workshops and
multiple surveys throughout the process. Drafts of the plan were shared out along the way to the public and
stakeholders. A 90% draft was presented to the Environmental Action Committee, the Fayetteville Arts Council
and the Planning Commission, which received positive feedback. Most recently, the Parks and Recreation
Advisory Board unanimously approved the plan on February 13th, 2023.
DISCUSSION:
The Park and Recreation System Master Plan serves as a visionary document to guide investments,
improvements and growth of the park system and programs. Park and Recreation System Master Plans are
not work plans, but rather a flexible framework that evaluates current park facilities and programs, identifies
gaps in services and aligns with current community needs and identifies opportunities for improvements and
growth. A plan such as this sets the foundation for moving forward, but is flexible enough to adapt to changing
needs. This plan is intended to guide the next 10 years; however, it should be evaluated after five as our area
is rapidly growing and changing.
The plan includes five guiding principles:
1. Nature Connection - Our outdoor spaces are integrated in our everyday lives to attract people near
and far for the health benefits of our natural environment.
2. Stewardship and Maintenance - We care for our parks and assets to ensure they meet the needs of
current and
Mailing address:
113 W. Mountain Street www.fayetteville-ar.gov
Fayetteville, AR 72701
future generations. Our operations and investments prioritize sustainability, fiscal
responsibility, and equity.
3. Active and Well - Opportunities for recreation, health, and wellness are accessible for all through
our parks, fitness and sports programs, and trails and benefit our physical and
mental health.
4. Gathering and Placemaking - Our parks are designed to provide gathering spaces and amenities for
our
community while celebrating our unique culture, the arts and music, the people,
and the beauty of the region.
5. Resilient Natural Systems - Our natural systems and parks help support a city environment that
integrates
natural and built landscapes and maximize ecosystem benefits and nature -based
recreation for the community.
Each guiding principle is further broken down into goals, strategies and priority actions aimed to address
community and departmental needs.
BUDGET/STAFF IMPACT:
None.
ATTACHMENTS: SRF- Park and Recreation System Master Plan, Park and Recreation System Master Plan
Mailing address:
113 W. Mountain Street www.fayetteville-ar.gov
Fayetteville, AR 72701
City of Fayetteville, Arkansas 113 West Mountain Street
Fayetteville, AR 72701
(479) 575-8323
- Legislation Text
File #: 2023-433
Park and Recreation System Master Plan
A RESOLUTION TO APPROVE AND ADOPT AN UPDATED PARK AND RECREATION
SYSTEM MASTER PLAN
WHEREAS, on February 19th, 2002, the City Council approved Resolution 30-02 approving a ten year
Master Plan with Guiding Policies and Implementation Strategies; and
WHEREAS, much has changed since that document was adopted, including acquiring new parks, and
an increase in population; and
WHEREAS, the Park and Recreation System Master Plan serves as a visionary document to guide
investments, improvements and growth of the park system and programs.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS:
Section 1: That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby approves and adopts the
new Park and Recreation System Master Street Plan, a copy of which is attached to this Resolution.
Page 1
Alison Jumper
Submitted By
City of Fayetteville Staff Review Form
2023-0433
Item ID
3/7/2023
City Council Meeting Date - Agenda Item Only
N/A for Non -Agenda Item
2/15/2023 PARKS & RECREATION (520)
Submitted Date Division / Department
Action Recommendation:
Staff recommends approval of the Park and Recreation System Master Plan.
Budget Impact:
N/A
Account Number
N/A
Project Number
Budgeted Item? No Current Budget
Funds Obligated
N/A
Fund
N/A
Project Title
Current Balance
Does item have a cost? No Item Cost
Budget Adjustment Attached? No Budget Adjustment
Remaining Budget
1.0.0.0.0.0.0 1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.C1.0
Purchase Order Number:
Change Order Number:
Original Contract Number:
Comments:
Previous Ordinance or Resolution #
Approval Date:
V20210527
CITY OF
FAYETTEVILLE
ARKANSAS
IMAGINGD�0
TOMORROW'S PARKS
FAYETTEVILLE
PARK AND RECREATION SYSTEM MASTER PLAN
FEBRUARY 2023
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS II
LETTER FROM THE CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE V
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR VII
PLAN SUMMARY ...................................... 1
FAYETTEVILLE PARKS BACKGROUND
2
PLAN HIGHLIGHTS
6
PLAN VISION MAP
8
PARKS AND RECREATION CONTEXT
10
COMMUNITY CONTEXT
12
INFLUENCES AND TRENDS
14
PARKS AND RECREATION TODAY ....................... 17
PARK SYSTEM EVALUATION
18
PARK PROVISION EVALUATION
26
RECREATION PROGRAMS AND FACILITIES
30
ORGANIZATION, MANAGEMENT, AND FUNDING
36
RELEVANT PLANNING EFFORTS
38
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OVERVIEW
40
PLAN FOR TOMORROW'S PARKS ........................ 49
TOMORROW'S PARKS
50
GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND GOALS SUMMARY
52
NATURE CONNECTION
54
STEWARDSHIP AND MAINTENANCE
60
ACTIVE AND WELL
66
GATHERING AND PLACEMAKING
72
RESILIENT NATURAL SYSTEMS
78
OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE AND FUNDING STRATEGIES. 87
PROJECTED NEED 88
OPERATIONS AND STAFFING 92
MAINTENANCE 94
FINANCE AND BUDGET 98
APPENDIX
A. PARK INVENTORY
B. RECREATION TRENDS
C. COMMUNITY PROFILE
D. PREVIOUS PLAN REVIEW
E. PROGRAM SERVICES AND RECREATION INVENTORY
F. COMMUNITY VALUES ENGAGEMENT SUMMARY
G. COMMUNITY -WIDE STATISTICALLY VALID SURVEY REPORT
H. PARKS MAINTENANCE STANDARDS
I. DEFINING SIGNIFICANT PROGRAMS WORKSHEET
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1:Plan Process..............................................5
Figure 2: Guiding Principles.........................................7
Figure 3: Plan Vision Exhibit........................................8
Figure 4: City of Fayetteville Context Map .............................11
Figure 5: Population per Square Mile Map ...........................
13
Figure 6: Vulnerability Zones .......................................
13
Figure 7: Fayetteville Parks by Classification .........................
20
Figure 8: Park Conditions Map.....................................24
Figure 9: Walkshed Analysis Map ..................................
29
Figure 10: Program Participants.....................................33
Figure 11: 2020 Operating Expenditures Per Population................37
Figure 12: 2021 Operating Expenditures Per Population................37
Figure 13: Survey Findings: Parks Priorities ...........................43
Figure 14: Survey Findings: Parks Priorities ...........................43
Figure 15: Plan Themes Presented at Workshops .....................44
Figure 16: Park Use in Fayetteville..................................44
Figure 17: Focus Group Big Ideas...................................45
Figure 18: Considerations for Park Improvement Prioritization..........
85
Figure 19: Example of Application of Maintenance Standards to
Different
Parks and Trails..................................................94
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE
FAYETTEVILLE PARKS, NATURAL RESOURCES AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS
Alison Jumper I Parks and Recreation Director
Ted Jack I Parks Planning Superintendent
Lee Farmer I Recreation Superintendent
FAYETTEVILLE PUBLIC WORKS
Byron Humphry I Parks Maintenance Superintendent
PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Holly Hertzberg
Andrew Brink
Julie Chambers
Will Dockery
Joel Freund
Hugh Kincaid
Stephen Sheely
Keith Tencleve
Beth Barham
Alanna Carlton
Wade Colwell
Brandon Craft
Missy Gipson
Collin Massey
Jeremy Pate
Julie Pennington
Eric Schuldt
Justin Tennant
Henry Childress
CONSULTANT TEAM
DESIGN WORKSHOP INC.
Anna Laybourn I Principal
Alison Bourquin I Project Manager
Carly Clevenstine I Planner
Jennifer Pintar I Planner
ETM & ASSOCIATES
Tim Marshall I Principal
Theresa Hyslop I Project Manager
NATIONAL RESEARCH CENTER AT POLCO
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LETTER FROM THE CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE
CITY OF
FAYETTEVILLE
ARKANSAS
IMAGINGD�O
TOMORROW'S PARKS
Fayetteville has always been a special place, known for its caring community,
natural resources, abundant parks and open spaces. We recognize the
importance of providing space for our residents to play, laugh, learn, heal,
gather together and build community.
This new community -led master plan will shape our parks system for the next
10 years, ensuring it continues to serve our growing community.
M
Residents, community stakeholders and City staff worked together to build this
a plan and make sure it reflects Fayetteville's unique needs. The collaborative
process gave us an opportunity to reflect on the successes and challenges
within our current system and to craft a strategic path forward that enhances
our parks and recreation system.
A We would like to thank everyone who was involved in the creation of this plan
and are excited for the direction of the future of parks for years to come.
L
Lioneld Jordan
' y ` Mayor of Fayetteville, Arkansas
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LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
CITY OF
FAYETTEVILLE
ARKANSAS
IMAGINGD�0
TOMORROW'S PARKS
Parks are an essential part of cities. They provide mental and physical health
benefits, promote social wellbeing, provide ecosystem services such as carbon
sequestration, stormwater mitigation, urban heat island mitigation and they build
community. They serve as residents' backyards and are places for both formal and
informal recreation. Parks have seen an unprecedented increase in use over the
past two to three years. The impact of increased usage and the importance of the
services they provide demand us to carefully plan for their care and growth.
It's never too early to build a strong foundation for the future. This plan does just
that. Founded in community participation, this plan is a result of the thoughts,
values and priorities we heard during stakeholder meetings, community workshops
and survey responses. I'm thrilled to present a plan guided by principles developed
from community values that are relevant today and will continue to be meaningful
for years to come while allowing room for growth and change along the way. The
goals, strategies and recommended actions included further reflect the voices we
heard throughout the process.
Fayetteville is a city rich in natural resources and recreational opportunities. This
plan lays out a guide for supporting our existing resources and acquiring new
resources so we can continue to meet the needs of this community.
Goals we are excited to prioritize include filling gaps in service areas in response
to the rapid growth of our city, creating equitable access to recreation programs
and greenspace, making improvements that support active lifestyles, and securing
adequate funding to maintain and upgrade our existing parks.
We look forward to serving the community by implementing recommendations
under the guidance of this plan, continuing to evaluate our strategies and to
providing quality spaces, programs, events and community building opportunities.
- Alison Jumper, PLA, CPRP
Director of Parks, Natural Resources and Cultural Affairs
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PLAN SUMMARY
IN THIS CHAPTER
Fayetteville Parks Background
Plan Highlights
Community Context
Influences and Trends
Relevant Planning Efforts
FAYETTEVI LLE PARKS BACKGROUND
Fayetteville has more than 100 miles of trails that bring you closer to nature and
connect us to each other. We are 24 distinct neighborhoods, including home to the
University of Arkansas. We are a family -friendly, bicycle -friendly and dog -friendly
community. We are live music, arts and sports events. Fayetteville has 57 city parks
to fish, play, hike, gather, improve health and enjoy the scenery.
SYSTEM OVERVIEW to "Parks, Natural Resources and Cultural Affairs."
The City of Fayetteville is a community that
relishes its outdoor environment. There is a lot to
celebrate when it comes to parks and recreation,
including becoming a premier location for biking
and running based on an expanding network of
hard and soft surface trails.
Fayetteville is a growing community of 97,908
residents (2022 U.S. Census estimate) and is the
second-largest city in Arkansas. Residents highly
value parks and recognize that the outdoor
environment contributes to a sense of place and
quality of life.
The City of Fayetteville's Parks and Recreation
Department was established in 1965 and today
provides over 4,000 acres of parks, natural
lands, trail greenways, and many recreation
programs and events. Outdoor offerings have
continued to expand and recreation activities
have diversified. Acknowledging an expanding
role, the department's title was recently changed
Kayaking at Lake Fayetteville
This department works in collaboration with
Fayetteville Public Works to coordinate parks
maintenance and improvements.
4,035 of park and natural area lands
Acres
57 pa rks
10 conserved natural areas
3 lakes
111 miles of trails
17 greenway and trail corridors
2 1 Introduction
WHAT IS A PARKS AND RECREATION
SYSTEM MASTER PLAN?
Park and Recreation System Master Plan is a
long-range planning tool that evaluates current
parks, recreation facilities and programs to
determine service gaps, analyze trends, align
actions with community needs and desires and
identify future improvement opportunities. It
provides a framework to guide city leadership
decisions for use of public funds and resources,
but allows for flexibility in changing situations.
The Fayetteville Park and Recreation System
Master Plan provides guidance for the next ten
years to plan for improvements to properties and
facilities, programming and funding strategies
and identifies priorities. This planning builds upon
preliminary community engagement and analysis
conducted by park staff in 2018. The plan project
effort was named "Imagine Tomorrow's Parks"
to communicate a desire to collectively think
forward about the community's needs of the
future.
The Imagine Tomorrow's Parks Plan:
• provides a vision, goals and strategies;
• evaluates existing park and recreation
offerings;
• identifies areas for growth, improvement and
preservation;
• builds on city progress and relates to other
planning efforts; and
• prioritizes actions based on community
values and needs.
Walking path at Gulley Pines
A Park and Recreation System
Master Plan is a...
Long-range planning tool to
determine service gaps, analyze
growth trends and identify
opportunities for improvements.
Visionary document that sets
the values and goals for current
and future parks and facilities.
An opportunity for staff and the
public to weigh in on the future
of parks and recreation.
Informs Capital Improvement
Plan.
A Park and Recreation System
Master Plan is not a...
An operations model or financial
budget.
A promise of future investments
or method to approve capital
expenditures.
Detailed design proposal for a
specific neighborhood, park, or
facility.
Introduction 1 3
Wtmr
-t W-14
Running Race Event at Kessler Park
WHY DO WE PLAN?
Much progress has been made since the
City's previous Park and Recreation System
Master Plan was adopted in 2002. The projects
identified in the 2002 plan have been largely
implemented. However, many challenges remain,
such as funding an appropriate level of care
for Fayetteville's large system and ensuring
access to parks and recreation for all residents.
Challenges to sufficiently fund the park system
have intensified as more large properties
have been added to the system that increase
maintenance needs. The past 20 years of
population change, development, and recreation
trends require a new calibration of priorities for
projects and examination of park operations to
equitably serve community needs and position
Fayetteville for a sustainable future.
Critical elements to address include outdated
and poor condition of facilities, lack of resources,
park activation, adding facilities and programs
to improve public health, and equity in access
and connectivity. Partnerships for programs,
volunteerism, and opportunities for alternative
funding sources are critical to strengthen and
expand. The plan creation process has been
designed to learn about current community
values, issues, and needs. It also engages them
to consider how the park system might best
evolve over the next decade and turn their ideas
into clear direction and priorities for the future.
WHO CONTRIBUTED TO MAKING THIS
PLAN?
Central to developing this plan is an
understanding of community values and the
identification of the community's wants and
needs. Multiple methods of engagement
were used that resulted in a successful rate
of response from residents of all geographic
areas of the city and represented the diversity
of the population and interests. A Plan Advisory
Committee was assembled of community
members to provide direction in the plan
development and met four times throughout the
process. In total, over 2,500 individuals provided
input in creation of this plan. Appendix F and
G provide a complete description of the public
input collected.
• • 29535
�•� individuals provided
- input in creation of
this plan.
WHY SUSTAINABILITY AND EQUITY?
With a community focus on addressing climate
change and its disruptions, Fayetteville strives
to sustainably plan, design, and construct
the community to be resilient. The city is
also dedicated to equity, inclusion, and
empowerment. This commitment is demonstrated
by efforts to provide opportunities and
community resources to all Fayetteville residents.
Imagine Tomorrow's Parks describes how these
city resources and services might contribute to a
more equitable and sustainable city.
4 1 Introduction
WHAT WAS THE PLAN CREATION PROCESS?
The planning process includes four stages of plan development (Figure 1). Following the
community engagement that staff began in 2018, in 2020 the first stage focused on completing
an inventory and assessment of the current system. Throughout each stage the community
was involved through a wide variety of formats, including small group meetings, surveys, event
booths, public meetings, project advisory committee direction, online questionnaires, and city
staff and leadership workshops. The plan contents evolved in each stage to reflect community
feedback, analysis findings, prioritization, and strategy development.
Phase 1
ESTABLISHING A
FOUNDATION OF
UNDERSTANDING
INVENTORY AND
ASSESSMENT
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND
COMMUNICATION PLAN
FOCUS GROUPS
AND STAKEHOLDER
INTERVIEWS
DATA COLLECTION AND
DOCUMENT REVIEW
Phase 2
CREATING A
SHARED VISION
COMMUNITY
BENCHMARKING
STUDY
RESEARCH AND
ANALYSIS
LEVEL OF SERVICE
ANALYSIS
Phase 3
EVALUATION OF CONCEPTS
AND DEVELOPMENT OF
RECOMMENDATIONS
COMMUNITY
SURVEYS
CITYWIDE VALUES VISION, MISSION,
WORKSHOP 1 AND GOALS/
OBJECTIVES PROGRAM
STRATEGIES y
Phase 4 DEVELOPMENT
PLAN DOCUMENTATION
AND ADOPTION
CITYWIDE VALUES
• POLICY AND
WORKSHOP ��., • STANDARDS
FACILITY AND PROGRAM FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS
PRIORITY RANKINGS STRATEGIES
DRAFT PARKS SYSTEM
STRATEGIC PLAN
IMAGINE-W
TOMORROW'S PARKS
Figure 1: Plan Process FINAL DOCUMENT
CREATION AND ADOPTION
Introduction 1 5
PLAN HIGHLIGHTS
Master Plan Vision Statement
Fayetteville parks are places to recreate, be playful, gather and enjoy the many
benefits of nature and sense of community. Our values are evident in providing
equitable, well -managed facilities and outdoor opportunities for all in our parks
system.
WHAT WE HEARD
Top Most Important Focus
for the Next Few Years
of residents support'design or
79% improve parks to support the
environment'
of residents support 'preserve
79% and connect more natural
areas'
of residents support'improve
74% or build parks in underserved
areas'
70% of residents support'improve
existing parks and facilities'
of residents support'acquire
68% additional land to protect and
preserve open space'
Acquire additional park
62% land/open space for future
recreation needs
Source: Community Survey, 2021
THE FUTURE OF TOMORROWS PARKS
This plan describes a future of caring for
Fayetteville parks and improving recreation
offerings and natural areas. An ambitious vision
and five guiding principles (See Figure 2) direct
the focus of this plan. However, the plan goals
are grounded in rigorous analysis of the current
system and evaluation of resources, challenges,
and community needs and values as expressed
in chapter two. Strategies and prioritized actions
in chapter three provide guidance for how these
goals may be achieved.
Exciting ideas and possibilities span every area
of the city as shown in Figure 3: Plan Vision
Map. The Plan for Tomorrow's Parks envisions
greenways, linear parks, and trail networks
connecting and filling gaps in park and recreation
provision close to where people live. Highly
important is conserving the natural environment
and encouraging the community in stewardship
actions for a more resilient future. Attention is
given to the abundance of lakes and streams
as places for nature to flourish and increasing
access to recreation. Parks that are in poor
condition or underdeveloped are strategically
planned for improvements and programs that
respond to the diverse needs of the community
and contribute to better health and wellness.
Celebrating arts, culture, and the specialness of
this place and people is integrated into every
public space and event.
The final chapter on operations, maintenance
and funding explores implementation to progress
the plan goals and strategies through funding,
prioritization of projects, staffing changes and
maintenance standards.
6 1 Introduction
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
The following guiding principles have been developed through input from the community to provide
the framework for the plan contents. Each principle and corresponding aspirational statement
provide a foundation for how the Imagine Tomorrow's Parks plan charts a course to the future. More
information on the Guiding Principles can be found in Chapter 3 Plan for Tomorrow's Parks.
The plan is framed around the five guiding principles:
•
Nature Connection
Our outdoor spaces are integrated in our everyday lives to attract people near
and far for the health benefits of our natural environment.
Stewardship and Maintenance
We care for our parks and assets to ensure they meet the needs of current and
future generations. Our operations and investments prioritize sustainability, fiscal
responsibility, and equity.
• Active and Well
Opportunities for recreation, health, and wellness are accessible for all through
our parks, fitness and sports programs, and trails and benefit our physical and
mental health.
t=_t Gathering and Placemaking
Our parks are designed to provide gathering spaces and amenities for our
community while celebrating our unique culture, the arts and music, the people,
and the beauty of the region.
Resilient Natural Systems
1011twoeOur natural systems and parks help support a city environment that integrates
natural and built landscapes and maximize ecosystem benefits and nature -based
recreation for the community.
Figure 2: Guiding Principles
Introduction 1 7
PLAN VISION MAP
This vision map looks at key opportunities from
the plan for an `on -the -ground' view of how
proposed goals connect the system.
• �1
Figure 3: Plan Vision Exhibit
8 1 Introduction
-f .............
J "�
0 0.5 1 2
Miles
?nd
Fayetteville Parks and Natural Areas
Lakes, Rivers and Streams
Future Trails
Proposed Connection
Underdeveloped Park
Park Improvement Projects
Proposed Facilities
Proposed Arts Corridor
Water Quality Improvements
Blueway Trail
Razorback Trail
University
Sports Center
Community / Recreation Center
Arboretum / Botanical Garden
Boat Ramp
Downtown
Historic District
University of Arkansas
Enduring Green Network from City
Plan 2040
Fayetteville City Limits
Existing Trails
Planning Area
Introduction 1 9
PARKS AND RECREATION CONTEXT
A REGION OF PARKS, OPEN SPACE,
AND TRAILS
Arkansas has long been known for its vibrant
and abundant outdoor scene. In fact, its official
motto is "The Natural State." That is particularly
true in the state's northwest region where the
City of Fayetteville is located. National Forests
and State Parks within 10 to 30 miles of the City
of Fayetteville lend additional outdoor recreation
opportunities within diverse landscapes. Figure
3 shows the context of the region. The region is
graced by the presence of the beautiful Ozark
Mountains and many bountiful rivers and lakes.
Fayetteville is often referenced as the "Athens of
the Ozarks" and is known for its seven hills with
the Devil's Den State Park, Hobbs State Park -
Conservation Area, and Ozark Highland Trail right
within reach of the city. The Buffalo National River
to the east of this area offers various recreational
opportunities. A variety of large lakes and
high quality rivers provide recreation activities,
including fishing, water play, kayaking, canoeing
and more. The hills and topography contribute to
the scenery and how people choose to recreate.
Fayetteville is also home to the Northwest
Arkansas Razorback Regional Greenway, a
40-mile bike and pedestrian trail spanning
south from Kessler Mountain Regional Park in
Fayetteville to Bella Vista north of Bentonville.
The Razorback Regional Greenway is the longest
system of interconnected trails in the state. It
offers connections to multiple public spaces,
including parks, playgrounds, shopping areas, art
and entertainment venues, schools, residential
areas, historic sites, hospitals, the University
of Arkansas (U of A) campus, and more. The
greenway and the growing system of other
hard surface trails strengthen Fayetteville as a
pedestrian and bike -friendly community and is an
important source of outdoor recreation.
Fayetteville has long been known for its
innovative spirit as an academic center. With
its abundance of natural areas and parks,
Fayetteville celebrates its history and culture with
museums, the arts, and culinary experiences with
a small-town feel that offers numerous amenities.
Fayetteville's parks are also known for hosting
outdoor events such as concert series, farmers
markets, races and movie nights.
PARKS HISTORY
As early as the 1920's Fayetteville residents saw
the need for public recreational space. Wilson
Park, the city's first park, began as a community
swimming hole then a tourist camp until it
was purchased by the City for a park. Many of
Fayetteville's first parks came as donations from
residents and institutions, further solidifying the
importance of recreational greenspace to the
community. The Parks Recreation Department
and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
were formally established in 1965.
Three lakes came into the park system after a
regional water supply was created, providing
thousands of acres of natural area, habitat and
recreational opportunities. As the city grew,
the need for greenspace was codified by the
passage of the park land dedication ordinance
that required new developments to contribute to
the park system, to grow it as the city grew.
The department has changed over the years to
include Urban Forestry and Arts and Culture.
The residents of Fayetteville have shown
through actions, visitation, and elections that
greenspaces, parks and natural areas are a high
priority. Today, the City maintains over 4,000
acres of park lands including lakes, natural areas
and public plazas and provides community wide
recreation and arts and culture programming. All
new parks are designed for access and funds are
budgeted annually to address access issues in
older parks.
10 1 Introduction
CONTEXT MAP
Fayetteville and surrounding municipalities benefit from nearby access to state parks and national forests.
, 37
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Figure 4: City of Fayetteville Context Map
Source: ESRI, City of Fayetteville, Design Workshop, Arkansas GIs Office. Introduction 1 11
COMMUNITY CONTEXT
OUR PEOPLE
Fayetteville is a community of 97,908 residents
(2022 U.S. Census estimate). The city population
is growing at an annual rate of 0.96 percent,
higher than the nation and Arkansas. Almost
5,000 new residents are expected over the
next five years. Fayetteville's most densely
populated areas are in the city's center (Figure
4), primarily due to higher density housing in the
downtown area and surrounding the University of
Arkansas. About one-third of the city's population
are students at the University. The rest of the
city, specifically around the outer edges, has a
lower population density of fewer than 1,000
people per square mile. This low density makes
providing parks within a 10-minute walk to all
residents a challenge.
The influence of the University plays a large
part in the city's demographics, affecting age
composition and income levels. Fayetteville's
median age is almost ten years younger than
that of Arkansas and Fayetteville's average
household size is 2.2, significantly smaller than
Arkansas's 2.44.
Overall, Fayetteville households have almost a
third fewer children, seniors, and people with
disabilities than the state average. In 2020, 17.7
Source: ESRI
percent of Fayetteville households have one or
more people with a disability, a much smaller
percentage than the state at 32.8 percent. These
population statistics factor into why recreation
trends differ from other communities in the state.
Median household incomes in Fayetteville and
Arkansas are about 25 percent lower than the
nation's, about $48,000 compared to $72,000
nationally. This is likely due to the high student
population and lower cost of living. Fayetteville
also has a higher ratio of people making less
than $15,000, most of which is centralized around
the University Campus. Access to low or no cost
recreation is important for public health.
Many people living in Fayetteville work within
the city (84.4 percent in 2020), meaning there
is an opportunity to emphasize connections
through alternate means of transportation
such as walking or biking. Three percent of
Fayetteville's population walks to work, with
roughly 1.6 percent of the population biking or 1.4
percent taking public transit. This is comparable
to US cities with similar densities and that are
not robustly served by public transit. Around
13.5 percent of the population works from home,
slightly higher than the state at 11.7 percent.
979908 29.6
Population Median Age
2.2
Average
Household Size
12 1 Introduction
POPULATION PER SQUARE MILE MAP
This map illustrates population density by census tract within Fayetteville.
Figure 5: Population per Square Mile Map
Source: 2022 Population Density (ESRI Demographics), Design Workshop
VULNERABILITY ZONES MAP
LEGEND
❑ Municipal Boundaries
Planning Area
Core City Center
Downtown
Lakes, Ponds and
Streams
Park or Open
Space
2022 Population Density
Pop per Square Mile
❑ 0 - 1,000 people per sq mi
❑ 1,000 - 3,400 people per sq mi
❑ 3,400 - 6,400 people per sq mi
■ 6,400 - 8,400 people per sq mi
■ 8,400 - 11,457 people per sq mi
This map identifies the socioeconomic vulnerability and health equity in different census tracts
highlighting areas with a higher percentage of the population identified as vulnerable. The criteria
included in this map for determining vulnerable populations include the CDC Social Vulnerability Index
(SVI), asthma health prevalence, mental health distress, and physical inactivity. The vulnerabilities are
measured using a very high, high, medium, and low scale to best show potential opportunities and
possible improvements to benefit existing at -risk populations.
LEGEND
❑ Municipal Boundaries
Lakes, Ponds and
r Streams
Park or Open
Space
Vulnerability Zones
❑ Low Vulnerability
❑ Medium Vulnerability
■ High Vulnerability
■ Very High Vulnerability
■ None to Few
Vulnerability Variables
Figure 6: Vulnerability Zones
Source: Design Workshop, CDC Social Vulnerability Index, CDC Places, 2022 Population Density (ESRI Demographics)
Introduction 1 13
INFLUENCES AND TRENDS
RECREATION TRENDS
Relevant outdoor recreation trends identify a
focus in planning for Fayetteville's future park
systems. The 2019-2023 Arkansas Statewide
Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan
(SCORP) report findings indicate that at least 92
percent of Arkansans participated in some form
of outdoor recreation. The main barrier to outdoor
recreation was finding time (56.3 percent), other
barriers included "it's too far or takes too long to
get to" and "not sure where to go."
Nearly 23 percent of the Fayetteville adult
population walks for exercise according to the
2020 ESRI Sports and Leisure Market Potential
Report. Walking is the most popular activity
followed by swimming, jogging, hiking, fishing,
basketball, and road cycling. Other activities
that have participation rates significantly higher
then the national average are tennis, ice skating,
soccer, and frisbee. Most of these activities
appeal to all age demographics. They can
be done in most environments, are enjoyed
regardless of skill level, and have minimal
economic barriers to entry. These popular
activities also have appeal because of the social
aspect. For example, although fitness activities
are mainly self -directed, people enjoy walking
and hiking with other individuals because it
can offer a degree of camaraderie. A detailed
analysis can be found in Appendix B.
DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS RECREATION
The Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor
Recreation Plan (SCORP) found that when asked
about which activities people are most interested
in yet do not participate in, younger individuals
(ages six to 24) predominantly chose fishing and
camping. People 45 and older expressed more
interest in bicycling and swimming for fitness.
This information is critical in understanding and
translating Fayetteville's diverse age populations'
outdoor and recreation needs. It is also important
to understand how inactivity is proportional
to income, with national studies finding that
Economic Impacts
Arkansas:
Outdoor recreation provides
37,089 around 40,000 jobs, about
Jobs 2.9 percent of the state's
employment in 2020.
Outdoor recreation generated
$2.9
over $2.9 billion in 2020,
which accounts for 2.2 percent
Billion
of the state gross domestic
product (GDP).
Was spent in Arkansas in 2019
$325
on recreational vehicles and
million
fees, and sports, recreation,
and exercise equipment.
Fayetteville:
Was spent on recreational
$10
vehicles and fees and sports,
Million
recreation and exercise
equipment in 2019.
The percentage of adults
spending money on sports
spend
spen
and recreation equipment is
more
than
higher in Fayetteville than the
$100 a
national average, especially
year
in the lowest category of
spending $1 to $99 a year.
Source: Outdoor Industry Association 2020 and ESRI Sports and
Leisure Market Potential 2019
14 1 Introduction
45.6 percent of individuals earning less than
$25,000 have a high rate of inactivity. Fishing
and camping are activities that lower -income
households expressed the most interest in
according to the 2020 Physical Activity Council,
compared to bicycling and swimming for fitness
on the other side of the socioeconomic spectrum
National studies find that youth are the most
active when participating on a team, with
inactivity rates in 2019 recorded between 17.9
percent and 16.9 percent for people between
6 to 17 compared to other age groups where
inactivity reached 37.9 percent. Today, this
group can be characterized as Gen Z and
has the highest participation rates in most
recreational activities except for fitness and
water sports. Equity is at the heart of access
to youth sports. National studies demonstrate
that gender, household formation, and income
correlate with the likelihood (and level) of
children's engagement with organized sports,
what sports they may play, and how long they
engage in those activities. Forty-two percent of
lower -income families cited that cost is why their
children do not play sports, according to the
National Recreation and Park Association.
CITY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
According to The League of American Bicycles,
Fayetteville is ranked the highest -rated Bicycle
Friendly Community in the state. It is one of only
37 certified IMBA Ride Centers globally, making
it a mountain biking "must -do in Arkansas." More
than 50 miles of off -road trails offer something for
every skill level. Mount Kessler and Centennial
Park are considered the center of mountain
biking in Fayetteville.
THE VALUE OF PARKS
Parks are important assets to the community.
They add both qualitative and quantitative value.
Some examples of the benefits created by parks
and recreation programming include:
• Component of a place's identity, retaining
residents and attracting new residents,
businesses, and visitors.
• Increased public health through both physical
and psychological benefits.
• Positive economic impacts for the city shown
by direct, indirect, and induced spending.
• Programs and spaces for socializing and
gathering create community cohesion, sense
of safety, and build civic trust.
• Wide variety of environmental benefits
such as providing wildlife habitat, managing
stormwater, carbon sequestration, air quality,
and water quality.
• Positive impact on property values.
Supporting studies have been done by the
National Parks and Recreation Association
(NRPA), Trust for Public Land, Urban Land
Institute, the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA), universities, and others
to support these assessments. It is important
that all of these benefits to the community are
considered when the City of Fayetteville is
considering investment in its parks system as an
essential service.
,it
Mount Kessler is
considered the center
of mountain biking in
Fayetteville
and is regarded as a mountain biking
must -do in Arkansas.
I M BA Ride Center
One of only 37 certified
International Mountain Bicycling
Association Ride Center globally.
Northwest Arkansas also stands out as the first -
ever Regional Ride Center in the nation.
Introduction 1 15
F
- S
• .�L� ..
Walker Park Splash Pry
2 PARKS AND
RECREATION TODAY
IN THIS CHAPTER
Park System Evaluation
Park Provision Evaluation
Recreation Programs and Facilities
Organization, Management, and Funding
Community Engagement Overview
17
PARK SYSTEM EVALUATION
PARK INVENTORY
The City of Fayetteville owns and manages
4,035.5 acres of park land including 57 parks
and 111 miles of trails. The city also owns nine
properties that are intended to become parks but
have not yet been developed and made open for
public use.
The majority of park acreage (78 percent) is
composed of five large parks and lakes that
are destinations within the region. There are 26
neighborhood parks, 5 community parks, and
2 special use sports complexes that make up 11
percent of the total acreage.
WHAT WE HEARD
The Top Purposes for City
Parks
91% of residents would like to see more
places to spend time outdoors
90% of residents feel parks contribute to
a beautiful community
89% of residents feel parks provide
places to play
of residents would like to
87% protect the natural environment
and promote environmental
sustainability
of residents feel parks provide
84% places for residents to maintain and
improve health
Source: Community Survey, 2021
18 1 Parks and Recreation Today
PARKS CLASSIFICATIONS
Parks are classified for planning purposes based
on their purpose or function, characteristics
of their site, size and the distance residents
might typically travel to reach them. Table 5
provides definitions for the classifications. Park
classifications are used to evaluate if the city has
the right mix of park functions to meet community
needs.
Table 3 provides a summary of the number
of parks and natural area properties and their
acreage by classification. Neighborhood parks
are the most common park type with 26,
however, they are the smallest ranging from
plazas less than a quarter acre in size to Gregory
Park and Charles J. Finger Park being the largest
at nearly 20 acres.
RECREATION OFFERINGS
Table 4 displays the number of recreational
offerings and amenities within park properties. A
full inventory table with additional details about
the recreation offerings, amenities or furnishings
is included in Appendix E.
Table 1: Fayetteville Parks by Classification
FAYETTEVILLE PARKS BY CLASSIFICATION
Classification
Number
Acres
Percentage
Area
Regional Parks
5
3160.3
78%
Community Parks
5
216.3
5%
Neighborhood Parks
26
183.1
5%
Special Use Park
2
46.1
1%
Natural Park/
10
139.7
3%
Conservation Areas
Greenways/Trail
17
161.4
4%
Corridors
Undeveloped
9
128.7
3%
Total City of
Fayetteville Parks
74
4035.5
and Natural Area
Properties
Table 2: Fayetteville Recreation Offerings Inventory
KEY PARK AMENITIES SUMMARY
The city also offers numerous recreational offerings
within its park properties including:
Number
Recreation or Facility Type
56
miles of hard surface trails
55
miles of soft surface trails
26
pavilions
25
playgrounds
15
total soccer/multi-purpose fields
7
full-size tennis courts, 2 junior courts
7
full-size basketball courts, 4 half-size
basketball court
5
sand volleyball courts
4
sports complexes
3
lakes
2
disc golf courses
2
dog parks
1
community center
1
skate park
1
municipal swimming pool
1
splashpad
Parks and Recreation Today 1 19
PARKS BY CLASSIFICATION MAP
The Parks by Classification Map (Figure 11) displays how these parks are scattered throughout the
city's 55.8 square miles, with the large regional parks located on the edges of the city. Fayetteville
has about four times the national average of park land, but approximately 78 percent of that land is
in the regional parks which are mainly on the periphery or outside of the city. Much of the land in
the regional parks is forested or lake. In the denser areas of the city a lack of park land is a concern,
particularly for providing a well-rounded and equitable park system close to where people live.
ilr.,.s I v
/ -7C�
I
61 3 y
70 17 1
1M r
29 33
$. 1k r All
i Aj w 68
58 •1 37
f Jr, f 38 63 1
w.f 60 2
42 -- 15 65 44
11
62 1. 62 'y0 21 46 34 ' I
2222 -
U
'
16 66 30 .. 32 i q5 s7
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52
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o
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_j r,
University District
■ Regional ■ Natural Area
■ Community Greenway/Trail Corridor
Neighborhood Undeveloped
mi. �' Special Use Non -City Park
Figure 7: Fayetteville Parks by Classification
Source: Design Workshop, City of Fayetteville 2021.
20 1 Parks and Recreation Today
REGIONAL PARKS
1.
Centennial Park
2.
Kessler Mountain
3.
Lake Fayetteville
4.
Lake Sequoyah Park
5.
Lake Wilson Park
COMMUNITY PARKS
6. Bryce Davis Park
7. Gulley Park
8. Underwood Park
9. Walker Park
10. Wilson Park
NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS
11. Bayyari Park
12. Braden Park
13. Bundrick Park
14. Charles J. Finger Park
15. Clarence Craft Park
16. Dale Clark Park
17. David Lashley Park
18. Doc Mashburn Park
19. Gordon Long Park
20. Greathouse Park
21. Gregory Park
22. Harmony Pointe Park
23. Holland Park
24. Hotz Park
25. Mount Sequoyah Gardens
26. Ralph "Buddy" Hayes Park
27. Red Oak Park
28. Rodney Ryan Park
29. Salem Park
30. Spring Street Park
31. Square Gardens
32. St. Joseph Park
33. Sweetbriar Park
34. Trammell Park
35. White River Park
36. Yvonne Richardson Community Center
NON -CITY PARKS
37. Agri Park
SPECIAL USE
38. Gary Hampton Softball Complex
39. Lewis Soccer Complex
NATURAL AREA
40. Brooks -Hummel Nature Preserve
41. Fay Jones Woods
42. Friendship Natural Area
43. Hill Place Land `World Peace Wetland Prairie'
44. Madison Natural Area
45. Mount Sequoyah Woods Park
46. Ridgeway View
47. Rocky Branch
48. Woolsey Prairie
49. Dowell Natural Area
UNDEVELOPED PARKS
50. Combs Park
51. CO-OP Park
52. Habitat for Humanity Land
53. Lierly Land Park
54. Owl Creek Park
55. Park Meadows
56. Quarry Trace Park
57. Stone Mountain Park
58. Hughmont Village Land
TRAIL CORRIDORS &
GREENWAYS
59. Cato Springs Trail Corridor
60. Clabber Creek Trail Corridor
61. Clear Creek Trail Corridor
62. Hamestring Creek Trail Corridor
63. Meadow Valley Trail Corridor
64. Mud Creek Trail Corridor
65. Niokaska Creek Trail Corridor
66. Oak Ridge Trail Corridor
67. Park Meadows Trail Corridor
68. Raven Trail Corridor
69. Saint Paul Trail Corridor
70. Scull Creek Trail Corridor
71. Shiloh Trail Corridor
72. Town Branch Trail Corridor
73. Tsa La Gi Trail Corridor
Parks and Recreation Today 1 21
PARKLAND CLASSIFICATIONS AND SERVICE
Table 5 provides a description of Fayetteville's seven park types and service area expectations ranging
from a regional draw of serving residents for the entire city and beyond to smaller neighborhood parks
serving people living within less than a half mile walking distance. The park acreages listed below are
approximate and some parks may fall outside of range.
Table 3: Park Classification Definitions
ACRES PURPOSE AND FUNCTION SERVICE AREA
Regional Parks
Provides facilities and recreation amenities intended to serve city residents as
well as the surrounding region. Typically, regional parks are centered around
+100 Acres
natural features such as lakes and mountains and protect large areas with
Regional Draw
natural resource value of regional significance. These areas can provide more
typical recreational opportunities..
Community Parks
Serve as a focal point for community -wide activities and provides a large park
area able to host many different recreational opportunities able to entertain
3 mile service area, as people
20-100 Acres
people for many hours. Should maintain a balance between programmed sports
typically walk, bike or drive to these
facilities and other community activity areas such as gardens, water features and
parks and greater distances are
plazas to appeal to the broader community. Special purpose park types may
more acceptable.
also function within community parks.
Neighborhood Parks
Provide nearby recreation and leisure opportunities within walking distance
of the individual neighborhoods they are intended to serve. Should serve as a
Typically 2-10 Acres
common area for neighbors of all ages to gather, socialize and play. Can include
10 Minute Walk
multi -purpose play fields, play equipment, accessible trails, and shaded area for
gathering. In most cases, programmed sports should be limited to practices.
Special Use Park
Any
Typically designed with one user or user group in mind, such as a singular sports
Local as well as Regional Draw
complex, golf course, historical sites, botanical gardens, arboretums, etc.
Natural Park/Conservation Areas
Natural parks are generally in publicly accessible areas dedicated to
An y
preservation of significant natural resources and open space. Natural parks
N/A
have few or no amenities. Conservation areas are protected, undeveloped or
preserved land which may or may not be open to the general public.
Greenways/Trail Corridors
Shared -use paths, trailheads or land used for trail corridors that connect
Any
elements of the community. Greenways are ideally at least 50 feet in width, but
N/A
may be 25 feet in neighborhoods where space is limited.
Undeveloped
Any
Undeveloped, publicly owned parcels.
N/A
22 1 Parks and Recreation Today
SITE CHARACTERISTICS ACCESS
Emphasis is on achieving a balance between resource protection and public use. Special site features
Typically have direct access
such as streams, lakes, reservoirs, rock outcrops, historic or archaeological sites may be preserved or
from arterial street and access to
enhanced to add to the unique character of the park. Some Regional Parks, such as Lake Fayetteville also
regional trail systems.
serve as Community Parks.
Portions of the site should have gentle topography to accommodate active sports fields and open turf
It is ideal to have direct access
areas for passive recreation. Special site features such as streams, lakes, reservoirs, rock outcrops, historic
from an arterial street and
or archaeological sites may add to the unique character of the park. Community Parks are developed and
access to regional trail systems.
maintained at a higher level than neighborhood parks.
Basic recreation facilities are often included. Features such as interpretive signs, water bodies, and areas
Centrally locate within area
of natural vegetation may also be included where appropriate. On -street parkingis typically adequate
g y yp y q
served around existing natural
unless there are features that generate large volumes of vehicular traffic. When possible, locate adjacent
habitat, along trail corridors or
to schools or trail routes.
in urban centers. Desirable to
access via trails and sidewalks.
These parks vary in size. Depending on the specialization or demand of the park, the larger the service
N/A
area becomes.
Typically preserve or protect a natural resource, habitat or other diverse ecosystems. May be unsuitable
N/A
for development but provide other potential benefits.
Greenways are often undeveloped land or land preserved for environmental protection with or without
shared -use paths. Trailheads provide access to single or shared -used paths. Trail corridors provide multi-
N/A
use, recreational circulation.
N/A
Parks and Recreation Today 1 23
PARKS CONDITION ASSESSMENT
City staff performed and documented a general
conditions assessment for the Fayetteville
parks system in 2022. Each park assessment is
categorized as being in great, good, fair, or poor
condition based on the following definitions:
Great: System is functioning well, with no
cosmetic deficiencies;
Good: The system is functioning well, though it
may have minor cosmetic deficiencies;
Fair: System has deficiencies but functionality is
not affected;
Poor: System infrastructure is at the end of its
lifestyle and needs replacement.
Figure 12 displays the evaluation of this
assessment for park properties throughout the
city.
Based on the parks conditions assessment,
seven percent of Fayetteville's parks are in poor
condition,16 percent are in fair condition, and
29 percent are in good or great condition (Table
6). It is important to note that un-categorized
or unassessed parks areas, particularly open
space and greenways are not included in the
assessment.
'« 17►
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38
®
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1 39 21 15`1
—'+- 6 . /10
,
low
I<
® 16� 24 31 30 45 4
23 41 251111014 11 _
— IL36 18
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,�✓ i- 35 j��
L�iil Qo 128
iJ
J
Poor Conditions
— J Fair Conditions
5
Good Conditions
0 1 2 3
4
Great Conditions
Figure 8: Park Conditions Map
Source: Design Workshop, City of Fayetteville.
24 1 Parks and Recreation Today
GREAT PARK CONDITIONS
1.
Centennial Park
41.
Fay Jones Woods
21.
Gregory Park
2.
Kessler Mountain
31.
Square Gardens
GOOD PARK CONDITIONS
12. Braden Park
6. Bryce Davis Park
16. Dale Clark Park
17. David Lashley Park
38. Gary Hampton Softball Complex
19. Gordon Long Park
7. Gulley Park
22. Harmony Pointe Park
23. Holland Park
25. Mount Sequoyah Gardens
28. Rodney Ryan Park
30. Spring Street Park
32. St. Joseph Park
33. Sweetbriar Park
10. Wilson Park
FAIR PARK CONDITIONS
11. Bayyari Park
14. Charles J. Finger Park
15. Clarence Craft Park
18. Doc Mashburn Park
24. Hotz Park
4. Lake Sequoyah Park
5. Lake Wilson Park
39. Lewis Soccer Complex
45. Mount Sequoyah Woods Park
29. Salem Park
35. White River Park
36. Yvonne Richardson Community Center
POOR PARK CONDITIONS
13.
Bundrick Park
20.
Greathouse Park
3.
Lake Fayetteville
27.
Red Oak Park
9.
Walker Park
UNCLASSIFIED PARK AREAS
40. Brooks -Hummel Nature Preserve
50. Combs Park
51. CO-OP Park
42. Friendship Natural Area
52. Habitat for Humanity Land
43. Hill Place Land `World Peace Wetland Prairie'
58. Hughmont Village Land
53. Lierly Lane Park
44. Madison Natural Area
54. Owl Creek Park
55. Park Meadows
56. Quarry Trace Park
26. Ralph `Buddy' Hayes Park
46. Ridgeway View
47. Rocky Branch
57. Stone Mountain Park
34. Trammell Park
8. Underwood Park
48. Woolsey Prairie
Table 4: Condition Rating of Parks
Condition
No. of Parks
Percent of Total
Great
5
7%
Good
15
22%
Fair
12
16%
Poor
5
7%
Unclassified
19
49%
Total Parks
56
Note: Does not include Greenways or Trail Corridors or
Dowell Natural Area
Parks and Recreation Today 1 25
PARK PROVISION EVALUATION
LEVEL OF SERVICE
Level of service (LOS) is a standard measure that
recreation providers use to monitor the number
of services provided to their communities. Used
in conjunction with community outreach, this tool
can help determine quantity and quality gaps in
the system and how services are distributed. It
is also useful in identifying the number of parks
needed in the future to keep up with future
population increases.
PARKS PER POPULATION
One way of measuring park level of service
is through acreage per 1,000 residents.
This measurement is typically used when
overcrowding is a concern or evaluating if
additional parkland is needed to accommodate
population growth. This calculation presents
some challenges for Fayetteville as much of
the park acreage is passive recreation, lake, or
natural areas that do not present capacity issues
in the same way as active recreation parkland.
Table 7 evaluates the park acreage per
population in 2020 and when the population is
projected to grow to 142,296 by 2040 according
to the City of Fayetteville 2040 Plan.
• Fayetteville currently has 41.6 acres of parks,
natural areas and greenways per 1,000
residents.
• By 2040 with no new park acreage added
the park acreage per 1,000 residents would
drop to 28.3.
• When looking at park land within the core city
area, community and neighborhood parks
contribute 4.2 acres per 1,000 residents,
which is below the national average.
The total property acres managed by the city
for parks and open space per population is
greater than most cities. However, given the
amount of land area dedicated to lakes, forest
and other passive recreation uses, this form
of measurement may not provide a direct
comparison in identifying the functional needs of
the city and must be augmented with other level
of service calculations. Particular attention should
be given to the community, neighborhood, and
special use parks, as the population increases
are most likely to strain their capacity.
Table 5: Parks Acres Per Population
ACRES PER 1,000 ACRES PER 1,000
PARKS PROPERTY ACRES PEOPLE YEAR 2020 PEOPLE YEAR 2040
(93,949) (142,496)
Regional Parks
3160.3
33.6
22.2
Community Parks
216.3
2.3
1.5
Neighborhood Parks
183.1
1.9
1.3
Natural Areas
139.7
1.5
1.0
Special Use
46.1
0.5
0.3
Undeveloped Parks
128.7
1.4
0.9
Greenways
161.4
1.7
1.1
Total city of Fayetteville
Parks and Trails
4035.5
43.0
28.3
26 1 Parks and Recreation Today
CITY PARKS COMPARISON
Total Park
Total Acres
Fayetteville, AR
56
3907
Fort Collins, CO
52
970
Bloomington, IN
34
2341
Duluth, MN
77
3497
Boulder, CO
90
1861
111110011111110W-
Acres of Developed Parks per 1000 Residents 10
Acres per 1000 Residents
Fayetteville, AR
41.6
Fort Collins, CO
5.5
Bloomington, IN
29.6
Duluth, MN
40.3
Boulder, CO
17.2
PARKS BENCHMARKING
Comparison to similar communities is another
way to evaluate if sufficient parks are provided
for a community. Four cities were selected
for comparison that have similar population
size, the presence of a university, and similar
types of parks as Fayetteville: Fort Collins, CO,
Bloomington, IN, Duluth, MN and Boulder, CO.
TOTAL PARKS AND ACRES
Note, the cities of Boulder and Fort 90
Collins' natural areas and open spaces are 80
underrepresented as they are accounted for
separately from parks, preventing an even J0
comparison. However, it is clear that Fayetteville 60
provides comparable total acres of parks to these 50
communities, although their total number of parks
is less than some comparable cities. 40
30
20
Table 6: Parks Per Acerage Comparison
10
4000
3500
3000
2500
v
2000 Q
1500
1000
500
0 0
Fayetteville, Fort Collins, Bloomington, Duluth, Boulder,
AR Co* IN MN* Co*
Total Parks 9 Total Acres *Does not include undeveloped parks,
natural lands, or open space
41.6
40.3
40
29.6
30
20 17.2
0 9.9
5.5
o
Fayetteville, Fort Collins, Bloomington, Duluth, Boulder, NRPA
AR CO* IN MN* CO* 2021
Acres of Developed Parks per 1000 Residents
Parks and Recreation Today 1 27
WALKSHED ANALYSIS
PARKS SERVICE AREAS
Access to greenspaces that provide recreation
and natural area amenities are important for the
quality of life of Fayetteville residents. Fayetteville
seeks to have such greenspaces within a
10-minute walk (roughly a half -mile) of residential
areas of the city. Many publicly accessible
spaces can provide such amenities including
city parks, some conservation areas, greenways,
and outdoor space at libraries, schools and
universities.
Regional parks and community parks are
destinations that are expected to draw residents
to travel a greater distance than they can
comfortably walk in order to reach. These
larger and popular parks offer many amenities.
Currently Mt. Kessler and Lake Fayetteville
Regional Parks take on the role of a community
park.
GAP ANALYSIS
The walkshed analysis maps (Figure 13) shows
locations within a 10- and 15-minute walk time to
a park, natural area, regional trail, or greenway.
Currently approximately 60 percent of the city
area has such park walking distance coverage
and the covered areas contains roughly 90
percent of the population of the city. Because
major barriers such as highways, rivers and rail
crossings and lack of sidewalks or trails play a
role in this analysis, adding pathway and bridge
connections is an important way to increase safe
access to parks. There are several areas to focus
new parks to meet the 10-minute walk objective
including areas west of 1-49 that are experiencing
rapid growth and some southern parts of the city.
Table 7: Walkshed Analysis Input
AREA COVERED
(SO MI)
POPULATION
COVERED*
Within 10 Min
25.5
70,624
Within 15 Min
33.8
84,894
City Limits
56.1
94,304
*Based on 2022 Population Estimates
28 1 Parks and Recreation Today
WALKSHED ANALYSIS MAP
Regional trails, greenways, natural areas, and all park types contribute to roughly 60 percent of the
city's land area being within a 15 minute walk of a city provided greenspace. Some walk areas are
based on parks that still need to be developed.
Hwy-112
0 0.5 1
MiIP
ram=
LAKE _
FAYETTEVILLE
i
� � J
II i
r — Q r
r
6 r—T�J r r—��'i r--I--7
r `.� 1 I
^ �1J
V 2 �
1
IV 62 Hwy 16
Ir
10 Minute Walk Time
15 Minute Walk Time
LAKE WILSON
■ City of Fayetteville Parks
Lakes, Ponds and Streams
❑ Municipal Boundaries
Figure 9: Walkshed Analysis Map
Source: Design Workshop, City of Fayetteville.
Parks and Recreation Today 1 29
RECREATION PROGRAMS AND FACILITIES
RECREATION FACILITIES
City recreation programs are hosted
at City -owned recreation facilities that
encompass a combination of indoor and
outdoor structures, parks, and pools. The
City manages approximately 13,300 square
feet (sf) of indoor recreation structures
and approximately 18,290 sf of outdoor
recreation structures. Indoor recreation
structures represent recreation sheds, the
Yvonne Richardson Community Center
(YRCC) , and the Wilson Park pool facility.
Outdoor recreation structures represent
facilities such as docks, piers, and recreation
open air shelters and not ball fields, lakes,
etc. that are included in the overall park
acreages. The average age of these
structures is 18 years old (if counting from
the most recent renovation of Wilson Park
Pool) or 24 years (if counting from the date
the structures were built).
Approximately 51 courts and paved
recreation facilities — representing 150,000
sf — are managed by the City. All court
facilities are older, with some courts built in
the 1980s and 1990s. The courts in Wilson
Park have seen the most recent renovations.
Non -court facilities included in this category
are batting cages, horseshoes, and the
Walker Skate Park.
City -owned and managed recreation
facilities encompass a wide range of
amenities:
• Approximately 13,300 sf of indoor
recreation structures (The YRCC, Wilson
Park Pool, and recreation facilities)
• Approximately 18,300 sf of outdoor
recreation structures (docks, piers, open
air shelters)
• Approximately 150,000 sf of courts and
paved recreation facilities (batting cages,
skateparks, horseshoes)
• 55.5 acres of natural turf and approximately
160,000 sf of artificial turf fields for sports
(baseball, softball, kickball)
• 2 water recreation amenities (Wilson Park
Pool and Walker Park Splash Pad)
The City manages
approximately
+, 279800 SF of
indoor recreation
Approximately
189300 SF of
outdoor recreation
facilities.
Approximately
1509000 SF o,
courts and paved
30 1 Parks and Recreation Today
RECREATION FACILITIES ASSESSMENT
CHALLENGES
• Many facilities are at capacity.
• Amenities have a high overall age, and these
older amenities generally require more
upkeep than newer facilities. Some aging
amenities may require expensive repairs in
order to keep operating.
• The City lacks sports fields with lighting.
• The heavy use of fields results in non -ideal
conditions; in particular, heavy use of natural
fields impacts the turf creating potential
for poor playing conditions and increased
maintenance needs.
• Anticipated heavy use of artificial turf fields
may increase maintenance needs and
shorten their expected life span.
• Wilson Park Pool has deteriorating
infrastructure and will need major investments
or other directions taken for aquatics.
OPPORTUNITIES
• Improving existing facilities and developing
a capital repair/replacement plan to guide
improvements for older, aging facilities.
• Replacing old facilities and those in poor
condition with new facilities that can improve
operations and reduce ongoing maintenance
costs, such as the pool.
• Enabling new facilities to better support a
variety of uses (both in terms of being flexible
for the types of recreation programs that can
be offered and in terms of accommodating
revenue generating opportunities such as
rentals and concessions).
• Review condition of existing pool facilities
and explore opportunities for new or updated
aquatic facilities.
• Add new athletic fields and add lighting to
existing athletic fields.
• Building new types of facilities to support
different outdoor recreation opportunities
(e.g., archery, bouldering).
• Developing proactive preventative
maintenance schedules for new and
improved facilities to protect their capital
investment and life span.
Walker Park Splash Pad
Parks and Recreation Today 1 31
RECREATION PARTNERS
Partners are a key piece of recreation in
Fayetteville, contributing to the variety of local
offerings. Such partners include:
• AppleSeeds
• Botanical Gardens of the Ozark
• Boys & Girls Club
• Horseshoe Association
• Friends of the YRCC (Yvonne Richardson
Community Center)
• Fayetteville Youth Baseball
• Arkansas Hawks
• Fayetteville Disc Golf
• Fayetteville Disc Association (Ultimate
Frisbee)
• Ozark Off Road Cyclists
• Ozark Flyers Club
• Ozark Volleyball Club
• Public School Partnership
• Rowing Club
• Senior Activity & Wellness Center
Note that the Friends of the YRCC do not directly
provide programming; rather they fundraise to
cover program expenses at the YRCC, which are
run by the City internally. The University offers
its own recreational opportunities to students,
staff, and faculty who may live within or around
Fayetteville. While not analyzed in this plan,
the University's offerings and the University
population should be considered when planning
the future growth of recreation programs by the
City.
CITY PROGRAM OFFERINGS
Recreation programs are grouped into one of
five broad categories: adult, youth, aquatic,
community, and race series and the Gulley Park
concert series. Many community programs are
offered at the YRCC, while aquatic programs
are typically offered at dedicated facilities. The
Department also offers outdoor recreation
focused programs through "Outdoor Fayetteville."
Some of the most popular programs based on
attendance numbers and programs that typically
have wait lists include adult softball, the Be
Active! summer camps, swim lessons, youth
soccer (younger ages), YRCC summer camp, and
YRCC Kids Nite (after school program). Additional
recreation programs (mostly sports) are offered
through local partners as noted in the previous
section.
Numerous recreation programs were canceled,
shortened, or altered in 2020 and early 2021, but
have been returning to pre -pandemic levels over
the past year.
0 Ae
%41:1
City Program Offerings
Adult, youth, aquatic, community,
and race series
Boys and Girls Club
32 1 Parks and Recreation Today
ATTENDANCE TRENDS
Based on attendance data provided by the
City, an analysis on programming trends was
performed as shown in Figure 14. Note that
data from 2020 and 2021 reflects reduced
attendance during 2020 and early 2021 due to
COVID impacts, which must be considered in the
trend analysis. It is recommended the City revisit
a trend analysis in a few years as recreation
participant numbers continue to rebound from
COVID.
Note that 2020 and early 2021 data reflects
disruptions such as closed facilities and canceled
programs, etc. due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
High community attendance numbers in 2017 are
largely due to increased attendance at the YRCC
that year.
Art programs at YRCC
Program Participants by Year and Type of Program - Summary
45,000
40,000
35,000
30,000
c
25,000
L
a
— 20,000
L
E 15,000
Z
10,000
5,000
0
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Figure 10: Program Participants
Adult Aquatics Community Race Series Youth
Parks and Recreation Today 1 33
CORE PROGRAMS AND LEVEL OF SERVICE
Currently, the City has a two -pronged approach
for evaluating recreation programming: a post-
program/event participation survey protocol
and a post-program/event summary. However,
the City does not have a formalized method for
defining core programs — those that are central
to the City's recreation offerings. Generally
speaking, core programs have a significant
impact on and a long history in the community,
are offered with low cost recovery/high subsidy,
and similar programs or facilities are not offered
at comparable cost locally. With these criteria in
mind, physical recreation spaces are a key part of
the City's core offerings, and include:
• Playgrounds
• Open space and trails
• Tennis and basketball courts
• Dog parks
• Concerts
• Natural areas
• Day camps
• Tournament fields
• Aquatic Facility
Table 8: Recreation Structures
Parks Current SF Current LOS
(Population per SF)
Recreation Structures - Open Air 18,290 5.1
Recreation Structures - Enclosed 13,300 7.1
Table 9: Recreation Facilities
Type
Current SF
Current LOS
(Population per SF)
3.3
9.6
Current # of
Facilities
17
24
Current LOS
(Population per 1 facility)
Basketball Courts
28,100
5,526
Batting Cages
9,800
3,915
Handball Courts
2,500
37.6
2
46,975
Horseshoes
14,000
6.7
20
4,697
Skate Park
20,000
4.7
1
93,949
Tennis Courts
49,400
3.6
5
13,421
Junior Tennis Courts
4
23,487
Volleyball Courts
26,400
1.9
7
18,035
Playgrounds*
-
-
25
3,468
Baseball Fields
-
-
18
5,219
Disc Golf
-
-
2
46,975
Soccer/ Multipurpose Fields
-
-
15
6,263
Softball Fields
-
-
8
11,744
Lighted Fields (all sports)
28
2,936
Non -lighted Fields (all
sports)
9
10,439
Pools
1
93,949
Splash Pads
1
93,949
*Current Playground LOS is 520 persons per playground when counting just the population under 15 years of age
34 1 Parks and Recreation Today
Current core recreation programs are those
that are important to the community, providing
access to affordable and entry level recreation
opportunities, and include:
• Day camps
• Summer camps
• Recreation programs for young children
• Recreation programs for adults
• Concert series
• Pool and aquatics programs
It is important that the City regularly evaluate
programs to determine any updates to its core
programs in order to best prioritize funding and
staff to these programs when resources are
limited. Recommendations for programming are
expanded on in more detail in Chapter 4.
The City's current level of service for each of its
various recreation facilities are shown in Table 10
and Table 11.
RECREATION PROGRAM ASSESSMENT
CHALLENGES
• Majority of soccer/multipurpose fields are
non -lighted.
• Balancing competition and recreation youth
sport programs.
• Limited budget and competition with private
entities for recreation marketing.
• Recovering from COVID impacts.
Wilson Park Dive -in Movie
OPPORTUNITIES
• Addressing demand for pickleball.
• Adding programming at skateparks.
• Offering new programs with outside
organizations (new or existing partners).
• Have partners take over / provide low
attendance City programs where appropriate
• Offering select programs as virtual or hybrid
options
Parks and Recreation Today 1 35
ORGANIZATION, MANAGEMENT, AND FUNDING
Responsibility for parks and recreation within
the City of Fayetteville is divided between two
departments: Public Works and Parks, Natural
Resources and Cultural Affairs (PNCA). Public
Works houses the Parks Maintenance Division,
who maintains the City's parks. The other
operations and management aspects are the
responsibility of the PNCA department, such as
sports, events, and partnerships. (Note that Parks
Maintenance was formerly within PNCA but was
transferred to Public Works between mid-2021
and early 2022.)
Parks and recreation receives strong volunteer
support; pre-COVID, parks maintenance was
averaging approximately 11,000 volunteer
hours annually and recreation had over 23,000
coaching hours annually. This represents
a significant operational contribution and
assistance to the City's paid staff. As noted
previously, the City has a number of recreation
partners, but currently has only a few operations -
related partners — the Friends of the YRCC and
the Ozark Off -Road Cyclists, who maintain single-
track soft -surface trails.
Table 10: Benchmarking Data, 2020
Annual Budget
Fayetteville has a smaller annual budget
and earns less revenue via programming
and user fees compared to peer cities.
Operating Expenses
$81
$59
N R PA
Fayetteville
Average
Average per
per Capita
Capita
2020 NRPA averages were $81.19 for
operating expenditures per capita and 8.1
FTEs per 10,000 population
Fayetteville is at 83% of average for full
time employees per 10,000 Population
8.1 NRPA Average
6.7 Fayetteville Average
Fayetteville
Boulder
Carmel Clay
Fort Collins
Roswell
Recreation, Parks,
PNCA
Parks And
Parks &
Parks
Historic &Cultural
Recreation
Recreation
Department
airs Dept.
Operating Expenditures Per Capita
$59
$180
$103
$155
$171
Revenue Per Capita
$8
$41
$64
$47
$56
Total Revenue to Total Operating
13.00%
22.70%
62.10%
30.30%
33.00%
Expenditures
Park Operating Expenditures Per
$895
$4,895
Not provided
$8,368
$5,879
Acre Of Parkland
Operating Expenditures Per Acre of
$1,279
$10,370
Not provided
$27,894
$16,330
Parkland
Operating Expenditures Per FTE
$86,638
$101,069
Not provided
$124,116
$138,873
FTE's Per 10,000 Population
6.77
17.83
Not provided
12.47
12.29
36 1 Parks and Recreation Today
Funding for parks and recreation comes from the
General Fund, half of the annual revenue from
the Hotel Motel Revenues (HMR) tax, parkland
dedication fees, a 2019 Bond program, a yearly
donation from the Friends of the YRCC, and
other miscellaneous donations. Based on the
benchmarking analysis, Fayetteville currently has
a smaller annual budget and earns less revenue
via programming and user fees compared to
peer cities. Fayetteville also has fewer staff
per resident compared to peer cities. This
data is summarized in Table 12. (Note that due
to the availability of data, a different selection
of benchmark communities is used for the
operational benchmarking.)
These level of resource constraints represent
a key hurdle for the City, both in current
operations and in order to deliver long-term
on the proposed elements in the Master Plan.
Larger budgets and greater resources can help
the City improve parks maintenance, provide
more or expanded offerings, address existing
Parks Benchmarking 2020 - budget
Fayetteville PNCA 2020 annual operating
expenditures total $5.14 Million.
$180
$103
$59
1 d
$155
$171
Fayetteville, AR Boulder, CO Carmel Clay, IN Fort Collins, CO Roswell, NM
Figure 11: 2020 Operating Expenditures Per Population
deferred maintenance, and minimize future
deferred maintenance. Critically, if more parks
and amenities are added to the system without
adding increased operational resources, the
entire system is at risk of decreased service and
expanding deferred maintenance costs.
Fayetteville's cost recovery is also less compared
to peer cities. However, it should be noted that
cost recovery is strongly related to the goals
and approach to parks and recreation of the
respective communities. As Fayetteville is very
focused on providing programs and facilities to
the community at low cost, it is understandable
to have a low cost recovery. The other peer
cities offer proportionately more paid programs
and/or paid facilities, may have more large
revenue -generating programs or facilities (such
as sport tournament fields), or may have a greater
entrepreneurial focus than Fayetteville.
Some strategies to address increasing resources
are presented later in this document in Chapter 4.
Parks Benchmarking 2021 - budget
Fayetteville PNCA 2021 annual operating
expenditures total $5.11 Million.
$159
$124
$194
$55
$36
Fayetteville, AR Fort Collins, CO Bloomington, IN Duluth, MN Boulder, CO
Figure 12: 2021 Operating Expenditures Per Population
Parks and Recreation Today 1 37
RELEVANT PLANNING EFFORTS
ALIGNMENT WITH RELEVANT
PLANNING EFFORTS
This section summarizes planning documents
relevant to the City of Fayetteville Parks System
Master Plan. It is important to incorporate other
planning frameworks for the overall existing
conditions analysis. Note that additional plans
are summarized in the Appendix along with a full
assessment of the following previous plans listed
below. Other Fayetteville projects underway
include the Climate Action Plan and Heritage and
Arts and Culture Plan.
PARKS SYSTEM MASTER PLAN, 2002
The comprehensive master plan takes a detailed
look at all aspects of the delivery system,
from staffing and maintenance to facilities
and agreements with other allied recreation
providers. Demands associated with the growth
of Fayetteville and the surrounding region have
made it increasingly necessary for the parks and
recreation division to continue providing quality
recreation services.
THE CITY PLAN 2040 VISION, 2020
The 2040 Plan is an updated comprehensive
plan to guide growth and development.
Greenspace and Parks are highlighted as an
important community characteristic in promoting
infill and traditional neighborhood development
patterns. Trails are identified as a key connective
element for transportation and mobility. The
Razorback Greenway, the Enduring Green
Network, trail corridors and pedestrian/bike
pathways will inform parks access.
MASTER STREETS PLAN, 2020
The plan was updated with City Plan 2040 and
considers infrastructure and anticipates where
new building developments might occur to
plan for possible street connections and capital
expenditures. Existing and projected conditions,
such as population growth, economic conditions,
land use, natural and cultural resources, etc. are
taken into consideration to imagine what a city
might look like decades into the future.
71 B CORRIDOR PLAN, 2019
This is a detailed and comprehensive plan with
a community engagement process, market
assessment and in-depth analysis of use along
the corridor that outlines a future for Hwy
71B and specific policy changes to enable
redevelopment. The Parks System Master Plan
considers redevelopment along the corridor
as an asset for planning, particularly at Lake
Fayetteville and near the intersection of Town
Branch Trail and the Razorback Greenway.
CULTURAL ARTS CORRIDOR, 2016-ONGOING
This project identifies opportunities for open
space amenities and trail connections at the core
of downtown Fayetteville, providing an increase
in access to parks and open spaces within
the City. It also improves biking and walking
connectivity.
ENERGY ACTION PLAN, 2018
The Parks System Master Plan aligns goals
and desired outcomes with key actions of the
Energy Action Plan to reduce greenhouse
gases and waste, specifically through alternative
transportation and Community Gardens to
reduce carbon footprints. Parks can also improve
overall resiliency when tied to stormwater
management best practices during flood
event or for water quality purpose. The Parks
System Master Plan considers sustainability
and resiliency in contribution to this plan to help
achieve 2050 targets.
WELCOMING FAYETTEVILLE PLAN, 2016
This plan is a progressive approach to improve
inclusivity in Fayetteville. While not tied to
specific recommendations in the Parks Plan,
certain considerations are integrated into the
process including multiple points of access to
planning processes, languages for outreach
materials and outreach to the youth and college
students.
38 1 Parks and Recreation Today
FAYETTEVILLE FIRST - CITY 5 YEAR PLAN,
2016
This plan focuses on economic indicators to
support the local economy. While parks are not
directly mentioned in specific actions, the Parks
System Master Plan identifies actions to support
the `quality of life' by supporting livability in
neighborhoods. Additionally, active recreation
of surrounding assets is a larger driver of the
tourism economy. Parks play a role in supporting
the local food economy (and in coordination with
Climate Action Plan).
THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, 2015,
2020 UPDATE
This plan is used to guide the design and
implementation of future bicycle and sidewalk
infrastructure. The ATP sets forth a vision and a
roadmap for measuring success, and it provides
the general parameters for the prioritization and
design of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure
without prescribing solutions for specific projects.
DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN, 2006
Because of their beneficial economic impact,
parks and open space should be planned as
part of the structure of the renewed downtown
Fayetteville. Park and open space amenities can
act as a catalyst for positive change in urban
environments.
WALKER PARK NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN, 2006
The Walker Park neighborhood plan offers some
suggestions for Park improvements that align
with community values including a dog park,
disc golf course, natural areas restoration and
wildflower meadows and a small amphitheater.
REGIONAL PLANS TAKEN INTO
CONSIDERATION:
REGIONAL OPEN SPACE PLAN (NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS COUNCIL)
Northwest Arkansas has abundant open space
today, but the rapid growth of the region has
already begun to replace forests, prairies,
farmland and other valued natural lands with
housing, shopping centers, highways, office
parks and other forms of development.
• The NW Arkansas Razorback Regional
Greenway is an exemplary project for land
conservation, multi -modal transportation,
economic development, and environmental
stewardship.
• The NW AR Open Space Plan identifies
regional assets. Since Fayetteville is at the
heart of the regional system and is central to
connecting open space systems this PSMP is
an important partner document to achieving
the vision and goals of this plan.
• Data outlines the areas surrounding
Fayetteville as significant drivers of the
pressure and impacts of growth to natural
resources.
• Consider aligning GIS overlays with Plan
priorities.
• Partners identified for funding could align
implementation strategies of this plan to the
Parks System Master Plan.
Parks and Recreation Today 1 39
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OVERVIEW
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Comprehensive input from community members,
technical stakeholders, advisory committee
members, and staff informed the development
of the Fayetteville Park and Recreation System
Master Plan. Engagement opportunities
and efforts involving community members
in developing this plan included surveys,
community workshops, focus groups and a core
working group.
Table 11: Engagement by the Numbers
2021 Survey Engagement
Mail Survey
729
Open Participation Survey
935
Polling Survey
Community Workshop Online
Questionnaire
78
550
Online Client Survey
119
2022 Engagement Events
Eight Focus Groups
66
Two Community Workshops
58
Advisory Committee Members
19
City Staff Workshop
25
2018 Engagement Summary
Total
1,538
12 Public Meetings
428
Online Survey
652
Postcard Survey
38
Second Online Survey
420
29535
individuals provided
input in creation of this
plan.
Participants from Community Workshop provide comments.
40 1 Parks and Recreation Today
ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
Engagement Window 1
•
PRw�� ni n vrr
RESEARCH & TRENDS
ADVISORY BOARD MEETINGS
STATISTICALLY VALID SURVEY
' EXISTING COMMUNITY SURVEY
•
CONDITIONS VALUES WORKSHOPS
STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS
FOCUS GROUPS
*1
2,411
Community
Survey
Respondents
ADVISORY BOARD MEETINGS
DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT WORKSHOPS
66
Focus Group
Participants
0
58
Community
Workshops
Participants
PRESENT TO COUNIP"
ADVISORY BOARD MEETINGS
DRAFT OUTLINE
• DRAFT VISION, VALUES
AND GOALS
�T
4
Project Advisory
Committee
Meetings
Parks and Recreation Today 1 41
SURVEY: WHAT WE HEARD
Key Findings
Most people in Fayetteville use parks
at least a few times a year.
The top three purposes of parks and
recreation facilities are providing
places to spend time outdoors
in nature, followed closely by
contributing to a more beautiful
community and providing places for
all to play.
The top barrier to using Fayetteville
parks, recreation facilities, community
centers, or programs is a lack of
information on services and spaces
provided.
More preference for providing
passive, nature -based activities
over competitive and organized
sports.
Natural swimming areas are of more
interest than pools.
Supporting the environment and
conserving and connecting natural
areas are seen as the most important
focuses for Fayetteville in the coming
years.
Asked to rank six actions the City
could take in the next five years,
improving access and enhancing
current resources are top of the list.
Source: Community Survey, 2021
ALIGNMENT WITH 2O18 SURVEY
Feedback gathered in 2018 proves supportive
of recent feedback, despite societal changes
experienced over the last few years with the
pandemic. In 2018, public feedback pointed to
a community that prioritized a park system that
could help constituents live a healthy, active
lifestyle with many opportunities for contact
with nature. Social interaction, planning in an
equitable manner, and slightly increasing the
overall quality of the parks system were priorities.
STATISTICALLY VALID AND OPEN
PARTICIPATION SURVEYS
A community -wide survey was conducted by the
National Research Center/Polco using survey
best -practices to gain a representative response
from all households within Fayetteville. Two
methods were used: (1) a random sample mail
survey to ensure representative response from
all areas of the city and the population in general,
(2) an open participation online survey that was
promoted at public events, libraries and other
advertisement means.
Of the 6,000 households mailed the survey,
729 completed it, providing a response rate
of 12 percent. A typical response rate for this
type of survey ranges from 5-15 percent. The
margin of error for this Address -Sampled survey
with 729 respondents is ±3.6 percent making
this a statistically valid response. The City
was successful in its outreach efforts and 935
responded to the Open Participation survey.
The open participation and sampled surveys
resulted in similar findings with a few exceptions.
A complete summary of the community -wide
survey can be found in Appendix G.
19664 survey
respondents provided
representative insight into
resident values and
desires
42 1 Parks and Recreation Today
What is the most important focus for Fayetteville in the next few years?
Essential 0 Very important Somewhat important Not at all important Don't know
s0 i
40 i
30
20%
10%
0% '
Design or Preserve Improve or Acquire Acquire Improve Improve how Ensure the Design or Build new Build a new Design or
improve and connect build parks in additional additional existing the public is park system improve parks in indoor improve
parks to more natural underserved land to park land/ parks and engaged in has many parks where Fayetteville recreation parks where
support the areas areas of the protect and open space facilities the planning kinds of people can center people can
environment city preserve for future and design recreational meet and play sports
undeveloped recreation of parks opportunities socialize
open space needs
Source: 2021 Community Survey in the city
Figure 13: Survey Findings: Parks Priorities
What actions should Fayetteville focus on over the next five years?
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Complete
undeveloped
parks to
improve park
access and
connectivity
Focus on
Expand the park
Seek
projects that
system by
additional
renovate/
acquiring new
funding for
enhance existing
property for
park facilities
parks and
future parks and
natural areas
natural areas
Source: 2021 Community Survey
Figure 14: Survey Findings: Parks Priorities
Sampled
Open Participation
Increase
Increase
resources for
resources
recreation
devoted to
program and
maintenance
community
facilities offerings
Parks and Recreation Today 1 43
COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS
Community Workshops were hosted in the parks
with an alternative option to participate similarly
through an online virtual input platform.
• Fifty-eight community members participated
at the in -person workshops hosted February
19, 2022.
• Another 550 responded to the online
questionnaire.
• The workshop and corresponding online
survey questions offered the opportunity
for the community to provide feedback on
the initial plan goals and identify where and
how they would like to see improvements
through a map activity and visual preference
questionnaire.
• Overall, there was high support expressed
for the initial plan goals with useful input
collected about actions desired.
MAPPING ACTIVITY
The mapping exercise serves as an opportunity
for the community to show where some of the
goals and strategies can be geographically
located. The mapping exercise further
emphasized the importance of natural swimming
areas, specifically at Lake Fayetteville and
Lake Sequoyah. The community -wide survey
also supported this, where 42 percent of
respondents prioritized natural swimming areas.
Urban camping ranked highly as well, also
supported by the community -wide survey; 73
percent of respondents would like to see more.
The exercise and the City initiated survey note
a community preference for focusing on the
community parks and regional parks, with Lake
Sequoyah, Lake Fayetteville, Underwood Park,
Walker Park, and Kessler Mountain Park receiving
the most sticker comments for suggested
improvements. The improvements to these
parks focus on natural swimming, water quality,
maintenance, preservation and inclusivity, and
amenities such as restrooms and parking.
Which goals do you feel the plan themes
most strongly about?
Figure 15: Plan Themes Presented at Workshops
Source: Community Workshops
During the past few years how often did
you use or participate in the following in
Fayetteville?
Figure 16: Park Use in Fayetteville
Source: Community Workshops
44 1 Parks and Recreation Today
Source: Citywide Workshops Values
39Z4M_yC:Z9Il1lI1 ��
Focus group meetings took place in a virtual
format. The purpose of the focus group meetings
was to learn from parks partners, user group
representatives, and subject matter experts
about their experiences and knowledge of
parks and programs. Questions guided in-depth
conversations seeking to identify values and
aspects to improve. Over a hundred participants
were invited and 66 stakeholders participated in
eight topical based focus groups, listed in Table 2.
Table 12: Focus Group Topics
Focus Group Topics
Youth Recreation and Park Use
Growth and Future Neighborhood Development
Nature & Ecology
Underserved Communities
Adult Recreation and Park Use
University
Shared Recreation Programs
Project Partners
Source: 2022 Focus Group Meetings
IMPLEMENTATION WORKSHOPS
The implementation workshop met with
stakeholders and department staff to review and
refine plan goals and strategies.
Source: Implementation Workshop
SURVEY: WHAT WE HEARD
Key Challenges
45% of residents do not know what is
available or where to go.
28%of residents feel parks and facilities
are not accessible for people with
disabilities.
23% of residents feel parks are too far
to walk or bike to from work, school or
home.
23% of residents feel facilities are too
crowded or (21%) programs are full.
19% of residents feel parks don't have
enough features or activities of interest
or (17%) lack the right equipment/
amenities.
Source: 2021 Community Survey
Div...
ikQ �aciliiy t� M�
side
la, rK,
trail
outdoor
_
Station•cndtlren
�^ ..-.• ... within
syacn
Figure 17: Focus Group Big Ideas
Parks and Recreation Today 1 45
WORKSHOPS: WHAT WE
HEARD
Key Findings
Desire for more gathering places
and sense of community in parks,
more trails and connections and
waterplay in parks.
Water recreation, specifically natural
swimming and water quality, at
Lake Fayetteville, Lake Sequoyah,
and Lake Wilson.
New parks, noting gaps on the
west side of the city.
Accessibility and amenities open
to the public is important.
More interest in more outdoor
sports courts than indoor facilities.
Desire for increased hangout
places like food, bars, event
spaces near and around parks.
Wayfinding and nature education
could be included in all parks.
Community Support
Most survey respondents support
improving exiting parks, preserving
natural areas and acquiring additional
park lands for future recreation.
KEY FINDINGS FROM THE COMMUNITY
The following engagement takeaways were
identified through community input and are
central to creating the Fayetteville Park and
Recreation System Master Plan.
The top -rated concerns for this parks plan to
address include improvements to current parks
facilities and adding new amenities to existing
parks. In addition, access, inclusion, and mobility
ranked highly across all efforts. The community
survey showed 77 percent thought it was
essential to build parks in underserved areas and
71 percent thought it was essential to improve
existing parks and facilities.
In general, respondents would like more
gathering places and a sense of community in
parks, more trails and connections, and water
play in parks. Comments prioritize increasing
water recreation, indicating a desire for more
natural swimming opportunities and improved
water quality at Lake Fayetteville, Lake
Sequoyah, and Lake Wilson. There is a desire for
new parks to serve gaps on the city's west side.
Year-round, 18-hour access to amenities is
important to the public. There is more interest in
providing additional outdoor sports courts than
fields or indoor facilities. Comments indicate a
desire for increased hangout places like food,
bars, and event spaces near and around parks.
See Appendix E and Appendix F for a complete
account of the public engagement methods and
input collected.
Source: 2021 Community Survey
46 1 Parks and Recreation Today
SUMMARY
Input from the survey, workshops, focus groups and advisory committee was aligned with research
and analysis to create the plan themes. These represents the big ideas that are integrated into the
strategies to this plan. The plan themes were revised from what was presented at the workshops
based on comments and feedback. The following themes represent the revised versions and
summarize overall key findings from the community input.
SUMMARY: WHAT WE HEARD
Nature Connection A
Increase ways for people to recreate in nature and water bodies.
Increase urban tree canopies, native vegetation, and nature play opportunities in parks.
Acquire more natural spaces in the denser areas of the city.
Stewardship and Maintenance
Identify and replace relevant and used park amenities.
Prioritize improvements and maintenance of existing facilities over creating new.
Increase volunteerism, community contributions, and stewardship actions.
Active and Well
+l
Adjust program offerings to meet the needs of all ages, abilities, and incomes.
Enhance the recreational value of our trail corridors to strengthen them as linear parks.
Improve sports courts and fields to serve the needs of our community.
Gathering and Placemaking
Improve parks to address comfort and the ability to gather for activities.
Partner with organizations and provide infrastructure to support events in parks system.
Create more art infused spaces.
Resilient Natural Systems
Improve urban forests, waterways and habitats through native planting and invasive species
removal.
Enhance the ecological performance of existing natural areas and support biodiversity for plants
and animals.
Parks and Recreation Today 1 47
F-- 4WNT r- MMWW*
L
L- ""Wft-�Am
sl_ *
PLAN FOR
TOMORROW'S PARKS
IN THIS CHAPTER
Tomorrow's Parks
Guiding Principles and Goals Summary
Plan Vision Map
Nature Connect
Stewardship and Maintenance
Active and Well
Gathering and Placemaking
Resilient Natural Systems
49
TOMORROW'S PARKS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter provides guidance and
recommendations for the City of Fayetteville
to continue to provide high quality parks and
programs into the future. This Master Plan
is intended to provide direction for the next
ten years. Some recommendations can be
completed within a matter of months, while
others will require coordinated community and
regional efforts to accomplish.
PLAN VISION STATEMENT
The following vision statement was crafted from
public and city staff input to express the desired
outcome of this plan- what Fayetteville will seek
to become in its parks and recreation within the
next ten years. This vision statement provides
overall guidance for plan principles and the
organization of strategies.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES, GOALS,
STRATEGIES, AND ACTIONS
Supporting the plan vision statement is guidance
organized around guiding principles, goals,
strategies, and actions. Each guiding principle
includes three to four goals. Each goal contains
a series of strategies and actions to successfully
achieve the ideas in this plan through either
policy, programs or projects.
50 1 Tomorrow's Parks
Vision
Where do we hope to be in 10 years?
A vision is a statement to guide direction on
where the City is headed and can help to
guide recommendations for the future.
Guiding Principles
What we aspire to achieve?
These are the aspirations for the City over
the next 10 years. The guiding principles are
key themes to organize the plan.
Goals
How do we achieve our goals?
The goals are specific opportunities for
the City to move forward toward the
10-year vision.
Strategies
What is the approach to take?
This is the general direction or method to
achieve the goals.
Priority Actions
What is the next step?
This is the prioritized `to -do -list' and could
include policy, future projects, or plans.
Farmers Market in Downtown Fayetteville
VID
I-tr... i
Tomorrow's Parks 1 51
GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND GOALS SUMMARY
Through the engagement process, five key themes emerged that have been developed as guiding
principles to organize recommendations that focus efforts to accomplish the plan vision. Each guiding
principle includes three to four goals. This page and the following is included to summarize the plan
direction and the remainder of this chapter further expresses the plan ideas.
Nature Connection
Our outdoor spaces are integrated in our
everyday lives to attract people near and
far for the health benefits of our natural
environment.
Stewardship and
Maintenance
We care for our parks and assets to
ensure they meet the needs of current
and future generations. Our operations
and investments prioritize sustainability,
fiscal responsibility, and equity.
Nature Connection Goals
• Goal Al: Increase recreational opportunities in
forests, meadows, lakes, and streams.
• Goal A2: Raise awareness about parks,
recreation offerings, environmental education,
and trails.
• Goal A3: Increase nature interaction
opportunities in parks, focusing on more
urbanized areas of Fayetteville.
Stewardship and Maintenance Goals
• Goal 131: Improve the financial sustainability
of park operations through increasing and
diversifying funding sources and partnerships.
• Goal 132: Prioritize existing park and facility
improvements, horticulture services, and
maintenance.
• Goal 133: Expand opportunities for
volunteerism, community contributions, and
stewardship actions.
• Goal B4: Support the use and safety of all in
parks, reducing use conflicts and partnering
with service providers.
52 1 Tomorrow's Parks
OMOl
Active and Well
Opportunities for recreation, health, and
wellness are accessible for all through our
parks, fitness and sports programs, and
trails benefiting our physical and mental
health.
Gathering and
Placemaking
Our parks are designed to provide
gathering spaces and amenities for our
community while celebrating our unique
culture, the arts and music, the people,
and the beauty of the region.
Resilient Natural Systems
Our natural systems and parks help
support a city environment that integrates
natural and built landscapes maximizing
ecosystem benefits and nature -based
recreation for the community.
Active and Well Goals
• Goal Cl: Provide inclusive program offerings
to meet the needs of all.
Goal C2: Improve access within and to parks
and enhance and broaden the recreational
value of our trail corridors to strengthen them
as linear parks.
Goal C3: Improve existing properties and
anticipate the needs for undeveloped parks
for completion.
Gathering and Placemaking Goals
• Goal D1: Design parks and greenways to
celebrate our heritage and communities
surrounding landscape and culture.
• Goal D2: Improve parks to address comfort
and the ability to gather for activities.
• Goal D3: Partner with organizations
and provide infrastructure to support
programming and events in the parks system,
such as theater, music, races, games, food
access, and markets.
• Goal D4: Seek opportunities to integrate art
into public spaces.
Resilient Natural Systems Goals
Goal El: Conserve land and strategically
direct acquisitions for conservation to meet
environmental and community objectives.
Goal E2: Promote green infrastructure and
regional systems in support of environmental
conservation and preservation.
Goal E3: Enhance the ecological performance
of existing parks and natural land properties.
Tomorrow's Parks 1 53
NATURE CONNECTION
Our outdoor spaces are integrated in our
everyday lives to attract people near and
far for the health benefits of our natural
environment.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Parks, greenways, trails, and conservation areas
contribute to Fayetteville's outdoor lifestyle.
These places allow people to experience nature
through recreation activity, environmental
exploration and education, and appreciation
of scenic views and wildlife. National research
shows that people are increasingly disconnected
from the natural world and not spending as
much time outdoors or experiencing nature. In
Fayetteville, the lack of close access from where
people live, work, and go to school to natural
environments prevents some of the population
from the benefits of frequent or quality exposure
to nature. This is because many of these natural
environments and activities occur within large
regional parks at the edges of Fayetteville.
While the "Resilient Natural Systems" Guiding
Principle supports rewilding and enhancing the
natural conditions of parks and trail corridors, the
"Nature Connection" Guiding Principle focuses
on how our community engages with the natural
world. It seeks to make nature accessible to
all residents and encourage their exploration
and appreciation as part of a regular routine.
There are great health and wellness benefits of
spending more time in nature, such as decreased
high blood pressure, improved sleep, lower
stress and anxiety levels, and an increased
sense of well-being. Therefore, this Guiding
Principle has broad community implications.
The Nature Connection goals recognize the
range of environments and programs that foster
quality time outdoors for our diverse community.
Examples include encouraging recreation within
tree -lined close -to -home trails, experiencing
new things in the great outdoors, educational
programs introducing plant life and bird habitats,
and encouraging play in natural settings.
Outdoors in Nature
90 percent of survey respondents
agree it is important for the City
to provide places for people to
spend time outdoors in nature and
to contribute to a more beautiful
community.
54 1 Tomorrow's Parks
,�
JEr. n
''Spend Time in Nature' was the
x�highest value supported by the
community.
91% in the sampled survey and
92% in the open participation
survey
A
73%
of survey respondents are
interested in more opportunities
for urban camping
Our
FA
'ON
,1 �.
T I .�7Y1 Sri K•
�,I s�. a y ` =�"!f . ; � _ •,.'J�r 'r , ,fir. r- r
Jfill
50%
of survey respondents stated
lack of access to information is
a deterrent to using parks and
recreation facilities
Source: 2021 Community Survey
r
7 :V -
JAR.--'
R -[[iR
�.I,
.. �.
y
Y
,.
Photo: Kessler Mountain Regional Park
4■yti,
NATURE CONNECTION
ow Goal Al: Increase recreational opportunities in forests, meadows, lakes,
and streams.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
The lakes surrounding Fayetteville including Lake Fayetteville, Lake Sequoyah, and Lake Wilson
are great community assets of the parks system, yet are located at the edges of the City.
Enhancing these assets within the system and connecting these assets to the core of the City
would create a network of trails and waterways that bring water and nature into the Fayetteville
community. The opportunity for residents to connect and engage in the water is a highly rated
value and could greatly enhance quality of life and stimulate economic redevelopment across
the City.
Identify locations to provide public access to streams and natural areas within the city core,
a encouraging engagement through signage, pathways, vegetative enhancements/restoration, art,
benches and other appropriate amenities and recreation activities.
Identify locations for swimming, kayaking, and canoeing put -ins to create a water trail along the West
b Fork of the White River. Explore river recreation improvements for Combs Park as part of a site Master
Plan process. Align these future projects with feasibility studies being conducted for dam removal
efforts.
Plan on a regional scale to improve water quality for enhanced recreation and provide amenities that
encourage play in this natural setting.
d Create outdoor wellness and fitness facilities and provide or partner to offer wellness activities in
natural settings.
e Support objectives in the Fayetteville First Economic Development Plan to connect commercial
destinations to outdoor recreation places.
GOAL Al PRIORITYACTIONS
Develop at least three locations for creek and river access points with seating and other amenities.
Develop paddling access at Combs Park, Bayyari Park, and Lake Sequoyah Parks.
Develop three wellness and fitness areas in natural settings and/or along trail corridors.
Implement a plan for Lake Fayetteville to improve water quality.
Identify potential urban camping locations and develop urban camping sites where other services exist.
Seek opportunities to locate festivals and food concessions along water recreation routes and regional trail
corridors.
Partner with the Long Range Planning department in amending zoning to encourage this commercial
activity.
Connect Town Branch Trail to the neighborhood across the West Fork of the White River.
56 1 Tomorrow's Parks
NATURE CONNECTION
Goal A2: Raise awareness about parks, recreation offerings, environmental
education, and trails.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
The survey indicated that many people do not know all the benefits that Fayetteville Parks and
Recreation have to offer. Improved communications on current and future offerings and sharing
the word in connection with local partners can bring more people to connect with nature and
recreational offerings in the community.
a Create a campaign to advertise recreation, park, and trail information, including online and print
materials targeted to residents.
b Work with Communications team to improve online presence.
Build up networks and connections to provide "first time" programming and opportunities that help
introduce and connect people to nature -based recreation.
d Encourage the formation of grassroots clubs.
Provide information to health and/or social service providers to connect patients to Fayetteville's nature
e places and programs, such as through the ParkRX "Park Prescriptions" toolkit and map database.
f Partner with schools and libraries to build awareness about places and programs to connect with
nature.
Provide environmental education through signage, program partnerships, outdoor classrooms, and
9 stewardship volunteerism.
GOAL A2 PRIORITYACTIONS
Engage consultant to create marketing plan for parks and recreation offerings.
Develop/strengthen an introduction to nature offering within the Outdoor Fayetteville Program.
Develop a nature club toolkit.
Connect with key providers, create material and distribute.
Schedule a biannual meeting with schools and home school groups to present relevant park offerings.
Update and improve the current online parks information to make it a "user friendly" searchable digital
database online/mobile friendly for people to learn about parks and recreation offerings and activities.
Include stories about parks to express the environmental, historic, and cultural significance about places.
Tomorrow's Parks 1 57
NATURE CONNECTION
ow Goal A3: Increase nature interaction opportunities in parks, focusing on
more urbanized areas of Fayetteville.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
The value of parks and the connection to nature is important for people of all ages and stages of
life and should offer a wide variety of ways to participate for the health and wellness of everyone
who lives in Fayetteville. Parks should offer a variety of programs and services -from active play
for youth to passive activities for seniors- play should be inclusive and accessible for all.
Expand the 'Outdoor Fayetteville' programming that introduces outdoor recreation to individuals and
a families who may not have the equipment or experience needed to enjoy the outdoors.
b Create urban -nature trail loops celebrating the natural and built environment, including ecology, history,
and culture, to create a unique journey.
c Integrate nature play design of future playground additions or replacements where appropriate.
d Increase opportunities for nature appreciation activities, such as fishing and birding in passive
recreation areas.
e Consider the creation of a nature center.
f Develop Combs/White River parks to include recreational opportunities such as swimming and
kayaking.
GOAL A3 PRIORITYACTIONS
Study and identify best methods to strengthen outdoor recreation's value to first time users and
underserved populations and locations of high equity priority from Priority Considerations Map (Figure 18).
Expand and adapt Outdoor Fayetteville Plan and develop a loop trail on the east side of the city connecting
Mt. Sequoyah, downtown and other points of interest.
Conduct a needs and opportunities assessment for a nature center.
Restore flood plains and wetland areas, adding bird viewing screens and other amenities to promote nature -
based activities in locations and with methods that do not negatively impact wildlife or sensitive ecologies.
Strengthen existing partnerships and expand programs with the school district at the Lake Fayetteville
Environmental Study Center and Smokehouse facility.
Create a signature nature play playground to pilot test ideas.
58 1 Tomorrow's Parks
KEY OPPORTUNITIES: NATURE CONNECTION
r Kam
The West Fork of the White River and Combs
Park is an example of a current park that has the
opportunity to be enhanced for activities and
amenities with the removal of the dam. The White
River, which flows north towards Lake Sequoyah
Park, could offer paddling, kayaking, a swim
beach or other water assets. A river trail along
Town Branch creek to Walker Park could offer
connectivity to the downtown area or a blueway
trail connection to Lake Sequoyah. While this
park is not within the City core, it would provide a
park in a gap area of the City.
Stream Restoration at Niokaska Creek at Gulley Park
The stream restoration at Fay Jones Woods is
an example of integrating stream restoration
into the City. "Improvements planned for Fay
Jones Woods include restoration of Tanglewood
Branch Creek, removal of invasive species, a
canopy walk, overlook, and improved access
to the Razorback Greenway from the library via
accessible trails."* The restoration work made
a beautiful spring fed stream accessible. This
model could be replicated in other areas of the
City.
Combs Park
Stream restoration and access at Gulley Park
offers an opportunity for people of all ages to
interact with the water and promotes improved
streambanks through the park, removal
of invasive species, and increased native
Tomorrow's Parks 1 59
STEWARDSHIP AND MAINTENANCE
We care for our parks and assets to
ensure they meet the needs of current and
future generations. Our operations and
investments prioritize sustainability, fiscal
responsibility, and equity.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
The Fayetteville community prioritizes
improvements to current parks over the desire to
acquire and develop new parks. The community
prioritizes improving parks in more urban areas
that are older and in poor condition and/or are
more heavily used with a lack of amenities.
This Guiding Principle identifies strategies to
strengthen and expand partnerships and target
funding challenges.
Like many other municipal governments across
the country, Fayetteville is facing staffing and
funding challenges, being asked to "do more
with less." As a result, parks and recreation are
often "competing" with other departments for
funding as well as with local markets for staff
to fill jobs. In addition, Fayetteville has fewer
available resources than peer cities, limiting
the resources available for operations and
care. Difficulty in finding funding and staff can
result in service challenges, reduced standards
of care, and maintenance backlogs which will
only exacerbate problems as the park system
and population grow. It is key that Fayetteville
Parks, Natural Resources and Cultural Affairs
Department explore new and diverse funding
sources to improve overall financial sustainability,
as well as explore ways to best leverage
available City funding and local partnerships.
Partnerships and citizen stewards are important
in how parks, recreation, and community events
are provided. Overall, the community considers
Fayetteville's parks well maintained, with a
few locations as exceptions. Establishing and
upholding park maintenance standards with
expectations regarding cost is important for
sustaining the current level of care. With recent
internal restructuring, there is a need to ensure
communication and collaboration between parkE
maintenance in the Public Works Department
and the separate Parks, Natural Resources and
Cultural Affairs Department. In addition, policies
such as managing the use of parks by unhoused
populations need to be aligned between city
departments.
Completing
Undeveloped Parks
About half of survey respondents
prioritized completing
undeveloped parks to improve
park access and connectivity.
60 1 Tomorrow's Parks
i
4'
Y
71%
of survey respondents
desire a focus on improving/
renovating existing parks,
natural areas, and facilities.
ti
of survey respondents feel it
m&iiw* is essential to improve or build
parks in underserved areas of
the citv.
Mly
&FON 41 ,MIA, 15%
of survey respondents stated
poor park/facility maintenance
was an issue.
Source: 2021 Community Survey
V
Photo Square Gardens
i4\\V��,A
STEWARDSHIP AND MAINTENANCE
Goal 131: Improve the financial sustainability of park operations through
increasing and diversifying funding sources and partnerships.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Fayetteville's parks are connected with well-being and quality of life for residents. Nearly 64
percent of residents use a park on a weekly or monthly basis. To maintain this community
expectation and core value of connection to nature and recreation, the parks system needs
to have resources and funding to maintain current park assets, invest in outdated facilities and
expand the system when appropriate to meet the needs of the growing community. More
description of funding and finance methods can be found in Chapter 4.
GOAL 131 STRATEGIES 0
a Continuously explore avenues to ensure diverse funding sources.
Advocate for increased operations and capital funding to address priority deferred maintenance and
b replacement needs. Advocate for increased funding for trail development and trail maintenance, to
alleviate burden on volunteers.
Explore the creation of a city-wide parks foundation to advocate, steward, and accept donations on
c behalf of parks and recreation. Support the creation of local parks `friends' groups or conservancies
that can assist in the operations, stewardship, and funding for select City parks.
d Expand sponsorships with local businesses.
e Strengthen relationships with recreation organizations that provide funding support.
f Consider tools to calculate the value of Fayetteville's green assets to help inform budgetary
discussions.
Improve the Park Land Dedication ordinance to meet the changes in city development and needs of
9 the community and park system.
h Explore enterprise opportunities to support the cost of park operations and program provision.
GOAL 131 PRIORITY ACTIONS
Explore bond potential by 2027 to replace the existing 2019 bond.
Engage a third party entity to develop a Friends of Parks group to conduct fundraising.
Develop policies and create communications for sponsorship opportunities.
Coordinate with other divisions/departments and plans to create a city-wide tool to track green assets.
Create a business plan for potential opportunities such as merchandising and events.
Conduct a development impact fee study to evaluate Park Land Dedication Ordinance requirements
(explore fee -in -lieu rates, land dedication amounts and locations, standards for park development,
maintenance contributions, and trail dedications) and update the municipal code to ensure appropriate new
development in parks, recreation and open space.
62 1 Tomorrow's Parks
STEWARDSHIP AND MAINTENANCE
Goal 132: Prioritize existing park and facility improvements, horticulture services and
maintenance.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Increased maintenance and improvements within existing parks is of greater importance to
the community than building new parks. With limited funding, equipment, and resources, it is
important to find a balance of improving and maintaining current parks assets. A prioritized list of
actions, priority parks based on the equity map, and a sustainable budget are critical to ensure
that resources are allocated appropriately. Recommendations on parks maintenance standards
are included in Chapter 4.
GOAL B2 STRATEGIES
Implement asset management tracking to plan for deferred maintenance improvements and track the
a condition of park assets.
b Prioritize replacement of relevant and poor condition park amenities, facilities, and infrastructure.
C Participate in a city-wide equity study to update this plan's actions with more details related to parks
and recreation programming.
d Utilize park maintenance standards and establish a protocol for evaluating performance.
Increase resources to meet park maintenance standards. Develop maintenance plans for the regional
e parks to apply appropriate restoration and maintenance methods and efforts to the natural and formal
park areas.
f Evaluate where horticulture services best meet overall city needs.
Identify new maintenance programs and technologies to address climate issues and resiliency needs
9 (i.e., water quality, heat mitigation, flooding, and etc.).
h Invest in adequate facilities and equipment for staff.
Formalize regular communication and meetings between the Parks Maintenance Division and Parks
Administration, e.g., a monthly meeting between division leaders.
GOAL B2 PRIORITY ACTIONS
Continue to add assets and management data to databases that track total asset management for more
efficient maintenance/upgrade planning.
Create annual work plan and seek funds per recommendations in Chapter 4.
Create master plans for undeveloped parks according to the timeline.
Evaluate and adjust resources annually to achieve maintenance standards.
Coordinate with Climate Action Plan recommendations.
Construct a covered equipment and material storage area.
Explore horticultural efforts in high -use areas and reducing efforts in low -use areas.
Tomorrow's Parks 1 63
STEWARDSHIP AND MAINTENANCE
Goal 133: Expand opportunities for volunteerism, community contributions
and stewardship actions.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Fayetteville residents are active stewards of the parks system and outdoor lifestyle. There
are numerous local organizations, such as the Ozark Off -Road Cyclists which supported
improvements at Gregory Park in 2018. In addition, programs partners, such as the Fayetteville
Library, could support or lead programs to increase local volunteerism, education and community
activism within the parks system.
GOAL B3 STRATEGIES
A Continue to support current recreation partners while exploring additional recreation partnerships.
b Explore options to improve the recruitment, training, and mobilization of parks and recreation
volunteers.
C Strengthen partnerships with existing natural resource groups to supplement the City's limited capacity
for natural resource projects and encourage local stewardship.
d Formalize agreements with partners where appropriate.
e Consider a city-wide "Celebrate Our Parks" day for volunteerism.
f Develop guidance for donation/gift acceptance and materials that promote appropriate contributions.
As partnerships and volunteer support continue to grow, ensure there is sufficient staff dedicated to
9 managing them.
GOAL B3 PRIORITY ACTIONS
Hold annual meeting with existing recreation partners and conduct study to identify possible partners.
Create a method to coordinate city wide volunteers.
Engage partners in natural resource management planning.
Evaluate combining with Earth Day or other existing city wide event.
Revamp Park Naming Facilities Policy.
Evaluate volunteers, staffing levels, and participant diversity annually.
64 1 Tomorrow's Parks
STEWARDSHIP AND MAINTENANCE
Goal 134: Support the use and safety of all in parks, reducing use conflicts and
partnering with service providers.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Parks are places for everyone in the community to come together and enjoy the benefits of
nature. An equitable system aims to provide access to all residents, regardless of their income
level, mobility needs, or access to housing. The parks system should strive to provide for the
needs of all residents to enjoy the parks while feeling safe and comfortable. Parks amenities and
facilities should be inclusive and programs diverse to meet the needs of all residents.
GOAL B4 STRATEGIES
Work with other city departments to develop strategies to manage user conflicts with park visitation
including unhoused people. Coordinate a response with law enforcement and social services.
Address sense of safety in parks through social service provider partnerships, additional maintenance
b in high -litter areas, activation interventions, park resource officers, lighting, strategically encouraging
development in and surrounding select parks, and adding amenities that provide user comfort.
Address littering concerns in parks through partnerships with law enforcement, volunteer groups, and
coordination with the city's litter mitigation program.
d Design for accessibility with all new development and prioritize inclusivity into all programming.
GOAL B4 PRIORITY ACTIONS
Continue to participate in city wide efforts with Police Department and third party support groups to address
user conflicts in parks and to create a sense of safety.
Integrate concepts for park safety design and increased comfort into a new Walker Park master plan.
Consider pilot programs for park resource officers and programs for unhoused populations.
Work with the Sustainability department to grow the litter abatement program.
Tomorrow's Parks 1 65
ACTIVE AND WELL
Opportunities for recreation, health, and
wellness are accessible for all through our
parks, fitness and sports programs, and trails
benefiting our physical and mental health.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Fayetteville is an active community with higher -
than -averages walking, running, and hiking rates
than the State and National average. These
activities support the success of the Fayetteville
trails programs and new trails development,
including the Fayetteville Traverse Trail and the
City 2040 Vision, which set a goal to have a
trail within a half mile of every house. However,
feedback from the community suggests that
some areas of the city, specifically Ward 4, are
less walkable and have fewer parks than other
parts of the city. Through increasing trail access
and connectivity, this plan aims to encourage
all residents to use parks, trails, and recreation
opportunities to support health and wellbeing.
Residents will also benefit from development
centered on trail access and connectivity, trail -
oriented neighborhood design. Trail corridors
can also be an opportunity to create linear
parks, adding features that would typically be in
neighborhood or community parks, such as play
and fitness equipment.
The City has some challenges for recreational
programs, including aging facilities and
some programs experiencing decreasing
program attendance. Some sports groups are
experiencing a need to extend play time on fields
and courts to increase participation capacity.
Expanding or building facilities, amenities (such
as restrooms and parking), and increasing staffing
to keep up with demands have been challenging
due to financial constraints. There are several
park locations where improvements or additions
could be directed, such as in the central part of
Fayetteville and undeveloped parcels, specifically
Owl Creek, Underwood Park and improvements
to White River/Combs Park.
Fayetteville offers adult and youth recreation
and community programs to serve health
and wellness needs and continues to seek
partnerships to provide programs and tailor
its services to fill gaps in what clubs, leagues,
private entities, or public service providers offer.
Public Track
Community members noted a desire
for more looped trails within parks
and a public track to participate in
walking and running activities.
66 1 Tomorrow's Parks
84%
of survey respondents believe
it is important to provide
places for residents to maintain
and improve their health.
i
82%
of survey respondents beft
providing mobility, with trails
and paths for exercise and
transportation is important.
ikT
75%-
of survey respondents
believe providing recreation
opportunities to underserved
residents is important.
Source: 2021 Community Survey
4MOTACTIVE AND WELL
* Goal Cl: Provide inclusive program offerings to meet the needs of all.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Fayetteville has strong events and programs to build on including the Gulley Park Concert
series and a number of local mountain biking events. There is a desire to take on larger events
and connect to larger recreation and tourism trends, as Fayetteville is on the national stage for
mountain biking. These local events and programs bring more people of all ages to learn and
engage with the outdoors and well as bringing people together- supporting a connection to
nature and gathering and placemaking goals within this plan.
a Expand programming for evolving, active older adult demographic.
b Evolve program offerings to provide an introduction to new trends and serve as a precursor to new
organizations forming.
Expand partnerships for program provision to serve critical populations such as with the Library, Boys
and Girls Club, schools, Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Arkansas.
d Offer more events (i.e., Ladies Du, Frozen Toes, Square to Square, Library walking tours).
e Increase program and recreation courses for outdoor activity skills development.
f Promote self -guided fitness and provide materials for self -guided fitness courses.
g Create a stronger online presence and overall marketing and awareness building strategies.
Create a 5-year plan for improving undeveloped parks and develop a timeline for the prioritized list of
h existing undeveloped parks to complete concept plans or concept plan updates listed in the following
pages.
GOAL C1 PRIORITY•
Meet annually with the Fayetteville Senior Activity & Wellness Center to complement programming.
Evaluate programs to determine viability and add staff or partners to offer more outdoor fitness programs
(i.e., HIIT, yoga, Zumba).
Create a self -guided fitness course.
Work with the Communications department to strengthen marketing.
Complete a recreation program equity study and community engagement to identify more inclusive
programming and overcome barriers to participation for underserved residents.
68 1 Tomorrow's Parks
ACTIVE AND WELL
Goal C2: Improve access within and to parks and enhance and broaden the
recreational value of our trail corridors to strengthen them as linear parks.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Trails are an important part of the Fayetteville community, from mountain bike trails at Kessler
Mountain Regional Park to the Razorback Greenway. The City's 2040 plan calls for a trail within
one-half mile of every home. These trails and greenway corridors are an opportunity to add
park and recreation elements along the corridor including amenities such as seating, pavilions,
fitness courses, art and other community amenities. This improvement could greatly enhance
access to parks without requiring significant property purchases. It will be important to
coordinate with efforts such as the Active Transportation Plan to align future trail improvement
locations.
a Continue to support city initiatives identified in the trails plan to build out the trail system to bring a
shared -use paved trail within a ten-minute walk of Fayetteville residents' homes by 2040.
b Create pathway connections to parks and connecting open spaces (see the Fayetteville Mobility Plan
for priorities), with the Razorback Greenway serving as the primary spine of the system.
Fill gaps in current park distribution as identified in the gap analysis map and address neighborhood
recreation needs with linear parks.
d Acquire properties to enhance trailheads including strategic concessionaire opportunities.
e Improve ADA access.
f Coordinate improvements of transit provider's connectivity to parks and recreation facilities.
Coordinate with transit to advertise using transit to get to parks.
GOAL C2 PRIORITY•
Meet with the Fayetteville Transit Division, University Transit and Parking Department and Ozark Regional
Transit Authority to identify gaps in connections from trail system to parks and potential locations for
property acquisitions.
Develop concept plans for linear parks.
Conduct an ADA, inclusion and accessibility audit to identify gaps and identify gaps and prioritize adding
walkway loops.
Tomorrow's Parks 1 69
ACTIVE AND WELL
Goal C3: Improve existing properties and anticipate the needs for
undeveloped parks for completion.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
The Fayetteville park system is rich in land acerage, especially with a number of regional parks
at the edges of the City. However, the City lacks parks on the west and south of the City.
Additionally, offering more parks and open space assets within more densely populated areas
at the core of the City would collectively benefit more residents. In addition, the City is growing
at nearly twice the State and National average and has a higher proportion of young adults and
youth (ESRI Business Analysis 2021). Continuing to address gaps in the parks system, based on
the vision map, and increasing parks amenities is important to meet the needs of an active and
growing community.
Improve or prioritize the development of parks in equity priority areas with underserved populations,
a including the rapidly growing West Fayetteville/Ward 4 and Ward 1/South Fayetteville.
b Develop agreements with schools for schoolyard public access in locations underserved by city parks.
C Prioritize reinvestment in older parks in locations with high population concentrations and/or high
equity priority areas.
d Add sports field lighting and consider artificial turf options to extend play.
Improve the condition of sports courts and fields, considering adding more fields in response to
e increased demand.
f Provide additional off -leash dog space and runs.
g Increase access to water play- specifically in centrally located Community Parks.
h Initiate a study to provide updated aquatic facility or additional facilities.
i Identify a location and partnership for a public running track.
j Integrate rest areas, shade and cooling centers into park design.
k Support youth and beginner biking interests by providing small-scale bike features in appropriate
parks.
Explore opportunities to include BMX and bike park features in Community or Regional Parks.
Develop a prioritized plan for developing undeveloped parks that utilizes clear evaluation criteria and
m is informed by analysis from this plan.
n Identify locations to offer pickleball courts in each quadrant of the City.
o Increase indoor sports court recreation with a focus on under -met needs for basketball, pickleball, and
indoor volleyball.
70 1 Tomorrow's Parks
GOAL •ACTIONS
Identify land for acquisition based on gap analysis and needs assessment.
Initiate a master plan to redevelop Walker Park.
Explore partnership with Boys and Girls Club for field space.
Resurface Wilson and Walker tennis courts.
Add pickleball courts in each quadrant of the city.
Construct an off -leash dog area in each quadrant of the city.
Develop partnerships for indoor services.
Restore and/or improve streams and access to water in Wilson and Walker Parks.
Develop beginner bike skills area at Centennial.
KEY OPPORTUNITIES: ACTIVE AND WELL
Many of the greenways and creek corridors west
of downtown present opportunities to increase
trails and amenities. These may include Owl
Creek, Niokaska Creek Trail, Oak Ridge Trail
Corridor, and Woolsey Wet Prairies- which are
good opportunities to explore for increased
greenway amenities.;
Recently updated trails Gregory Park
Example of linear trail as Park in Underwood Park.
Gregory park is an example of recently added
features including a 0.6-mile perimeter natural -
surface walking and biking trail with benches and
a pavilion. This project was a partnership with
the Ozark Off -Road Cyclists and includes biking
facilities such as a concrete pump track, a bicycle
skills course, and two one -direction natural -
surface downhill mountain -bike trails.
Tomorrow's Parks 1 71
GATHERING AND PLACEMAKING
Our parks are designed to provide
gathering spaces and amenities for our
community while celebrating our unique
culture, the arts and music, the people, and
the beauty of the region.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Parks can foster social interactions and
interpersonal connections, promote community
pride and inclusivity, and uplift one's sense of
belonging. Ideal parks are actively used by the
community, inclusive of all ages, abilities and
cultures and strive to be authentic or reflect
the neighborhood, landscape and community's
culture.
Placemaking is a design concept that explores
ways to bring people together in shaping shared
public spaces to promote the celebration of arts
and culture and social health and wellbeing. It
is defined as "more than just promoting better
urban design, placemaking facilitates creative
patterns of use, paying particular attention to the
physical, cultural, and social identities that define
a place and support its ongoing evolution." Some
of Fayetteville's parks, such as Gulley Park and
Wilson Park, currently are authentic to the place
and people and more identifiable as contributing
to the city's character. However, others are more
generic spaces and could be enlivened with a
placemaking approach.
Parks are `third' places in our lives (home being
the first place, work being the second place,
and gathering places being the third place)
where we gather, relax, socialize and recreate.
Fayetteville has a culture of parks serving as
third spaces, including events such as movies
in the park, concert series, farmer's markets
downtown, and playing, running and biking.
Fayetteville has a strong events scene. There is
community interest in hosting more diverse and
larger events for economic development- such
as the expansion of bike races. There is also a
desire from the community to integrate the local
food truck culture into parks and offer expanded
concessionaire services as food is a way to bring
people together.
Community Interaction
In 2018 public feed back indicated a
high importance for the park system to
have spaces that facilitate community
interaction.
72 1 Tomorrow's Parks
of survey respondents would
like to see more gathering
spaces
_40
r
-_mop
Placemaking Top 4:
1. Concerts and movies in th
park
2. Farmers markets
3. Ping pong or bocce in parks
4. Places to meet
Source: 2021 Community Survey
GATHERING AND PLACEMAKING
Goal D1. Design parks and greenways to celebrate our heritage and
community's surrounding landscape and culture.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
The arts bring people together and celebrate what makes Fayetteville unique. The parks system
can celebrate the special cultural, recreational and environmental needs of the community through
an integration of the arts. This might include signage and wayfinding, physical spaces for events
and gathering, and events and programs that connect with the local arts and identity of a diversity
of communities.
a Coordinate with the Heritage and Historic Preservation Master Plan under development to integrate
strategies for design of parks and interpretation elements.
Integrate strategies from the Welcoming Fayetteville Plan such as signage and marketing materials in
b multiple languages, hosting events to celebrate immigrant culture and heritage, and advertise parks
and recreation programs in social service directories.
c Include art and interpretive signage in the creation of new spaces and the renovation of existing ones.
d Design and program parks to highlight the unique natural, historical, cultural and/or economic identity
of the surrounding area and community in which they are located.
e Study, identify, and prioritize locations that would benefit from gathering and placemaking efforts.
GOAL D1 PRIORITYACTIONS
Develop bilingual sign package to increase welcoming.
Work with Arts and Culture and Historic Preservation to identify opportunities for investment.
Provide interpretive elements and signage at Underwood Park relating to the history of the property.
Create a community activity node with the redevelopment of Walker Park.
Increase arts and cultural programs in parks coordinated with ideas from the Arts and Culture Plan and
partnership opportunities.
Lights on the Ozarks Art Mural - Fresh Air by Jason Jones
74 1 Tomorrow's Parks
GATHERING AND PLACEMAKING
Goals D2. Improve parks to address comfort and the ability to gather for activities
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
The community survey and community open houses emphasized a desire from Fayetteville
residents to increase park amenities that bring people together. This could include non-traditional
ways, such as hammocks and yard games in the park and also an interest in more traditional
amenities such as benches and pavilions.
■
a Provide park features and programs relevant to the surrounding community for the ways they would
like to gather.
b Increase social and group recreational activities in parks such as hammocks, outdoor ping pong,
chess, and bocce and yard game areas.
C Increase amenities in parks such as benches, shelters, parking, bathrooms, cooling features, and water
fountains in line with park type level of service standards.
d Develop programming with a goal of allowing people to meet and visit.
GOAL D2 PRIORITYACTIONS
Engage citizens in the design of Walker and Underwood Park to understand their needs.
Construct activity nodes including yard games in community parks.
Analyze existing amenities to determine where additional amenities are needed to meet level of service
standards.
Partner with others to promote recurring social gatherings such as coffee outside, etc.
Ladies Duathlon Race Walker Park Splash Pad
Tomorrow's Parks 1 75
� Vr�Tl GATHERING AND PLACEMAKING
Goal D3. Partner with organizations and provide infrastructure to support
programming and events in the parks system, such as theater, music,
races, games, food access, and markets.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
There are a number of successful events offered to bring the community together such as the
Gulley Park Concert Series and First Thursday, which takes place in the Historic Downtown Square
and offers music, arts, and bike rides to celebrate the local arts. There is a desire to see these
events and larger events, especially bike and running races, to promote use of parks and trails and
support the local economy.
a Continue strengthening partnerships with youth centers such as schools and the Boys and Girls Club
for program provision.
Support active programming that brings people to their parks for art, events, programs, recreation and
b community. This programming should be diverse and adapted to represent the community culture and
encourage the creation of social connections.
C Consider long-term concessionaire facility needs to encourage their presence in Community and
Regional Parks to provide food, beverage, information, and equipment rentals.
d Update mobile vendor ordinance to increase opportunities in parks.
The Creature by Nat Nicholson Gulley Park Concert Series
76 1 Tomorrow's Parks
GATHERING AND PLACEMAKING
Goal 134. Seek opportunities to integrate art into public spaces.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
The Castle at Wilson Park is a local favorite and an example of how the arts can integrate into
parks. Other examples could integrate interactive sculpture into play, art and interpretive elements,
passive sculpture, murals and other integrations of art into nature.
a Develop an Arts and Culture Master Plan to identify strategic initiatives for public spaces and
programs.
b Include programming or spaces that support performing arts and design event spaces in parks to
serve multiple functions so they are utilized at all times.
c Create more art -infused spaces such as the Castle at Wilson Park.
d Partner with the University of Arkansas's growing Arts and Design Center and other arts organizations.
Explore the Adventure of Fayetteville by Jeremy Navarette Green snakes in love by Eugene Sargeant
Tomorrow's Parks 1 77
RESILIENT NATURAL SYSTEMS
Our natural systems and parks help
support a city environment that integrates
natural and built landscapes maximizing
ecosystem benefits and nature -based
recreation for the community.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
The natural amenities and scenic landscapes of
the Fayetteville parks are unique to the parks
system and the region. The parks in Fayetteville
invite nature into the city. There is an opportunity
to `rewild' the parks to bring people closer to
these natural areas while enhancing wildlife
habitat and ecological diversity. The urban forest
and public open spaces contribute to a more
resilient city mitigating environmental threats.
This theme has the benefit of being approached
by multiple city departments and groups such
as the Envionmental Action Committee. Several
programming options for Fayetteville to explore
might include a tree diversity program, xeric
and native landscape planting programs, urban
forestry plan coordination, flood control and
coordination with the Fayetteville Climate Action
Plan and Energy Action Plan. Parks, greenways
and natural areas contribute to the Enduring
Green Network described in the City Plan 2040.
The City Plan 2040 and the Northwest Arkansas
Open Space Plan provide direction for increasing
conservation efforts that add to the natural
system.
Improving water quality at Lake Fayetteville and
other parks with water bodies was a topic that
emerged from the public comments. Improving
water quality will require a committed and
collaborative effort with other departments to
manage urban runoff at a regional scale through
best management practices for streets and
parking areas, planting, streambank erosion
management, wetland and waterway protection,
as well as efforts to the lakes such as dredging,
aeration, constructed wetlands and other water
improvement technologies.
#M
Ecological
Restoration
Public input indicated a desire
for more green infrastructure,
environmental conservation, and
stream bank restoration in parks.
*These results coincide with many sticker responses from
the map activity boards where people emphasized a
desire for land preservation.
78 1 Tomorrow's Parks
ROp
.-•. o . . :.fir':+ i e-`��' -
-W
.
a
of survey respondents
support protecting thenatural M.,
. �, •,,�
environment and promoting=
environmental sustainability
(for example, water quality, wildlife, air quality)
'4-
i
61O/o : }..: . �f ,r� � •, its•
of survey respondents prioritize ;��• k I s,rt ¢I '
water quality at Lake Fayetteville
as a focus.44
lit
aAt :'S' E' •r
of survey respondents expressed
there is not enough designated
areas for natural environment `{
preservation/conservation and
open space.
Source: 2021 Community Survey
1 od Park
RESILIENT NATURAL SYSTEMS
Goal El. Conserve land and strategically direct acquisitions for
conservation to meet environmental and community objectives.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
The Enduring Green Network (EGN) is defined by the City's 2040 Plan, the boundary is
intended to support land use recommendations in development review, and is not a regulatory
tool. The EGN would serve as a linkage between large park land and trails. It is being
assembled intermittently through easements for trails, tree preservation easements, land
acquisitors and partnerships. The City needs a plan to support acquisitors and management
of open lands that can serve to support increased connectivity of parks, riparian areas and
streams as well as identify strategies and priorities for the protection and enhancement of
natural lands.
Develop a Conservation Plan to advance the "Enduring Green Network" and other natural resource
a goals. Include a natural lands and open space acquisitions action plan with consideration to linked
growth concepts.
b Repurpose city properties and acquire properties in the city center that will provide access to nature
contact and deliver environmental services.
Partner with Northwest Arkansas Land Trust, Watershed Alliances, Corps of Engineers, Department of
the Interior and others to conserve land.
GOAL El PRIORITYACTIONS
Complete an assessment of urban forest and natural conditions within city properties to identify best
management approaches for different landscape types. Update city mapping databases to reflect these
resources.
Create a Conservation Plan with consultant support to identify acquisitions, projects, and priorities for
conserved lands and environmental resources.
Identify a funding source focused on conservation and natural area management.
Identify areas for environmental preservation, protection, and enhancement.
Identify funding sources to direct conservation acquisition priorities and coordinate with land trusts to
leverage conservation efforts.
80 1 Tomorrow's Parks
RESILIENT NATURAL SYSTEMS
Goal E2. Promote green infrastructure and regional systems in support of
environmental conservation and preservation.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Seventy-nine percent of the community -wide survey respondents stated `Design or improve
parks to support the environment (flooding, improve air and water quality)' as a priority.
Fayetteville public works has been actively implementing stormwater management best
practices for flood management. In addition, parks are an ideal location to address some of
the goals of the Fayetteville Climate Action Plan including carbon offset in greenspaces and
increasing cool and shaded places to offset heat island effects. The Urban Forestry Plan which
is currently underway, is also an opportunity to align this goal to serve the larger system of
green networks in Fayetteville.
a Seek opportunities for stormwater properties to serve multiple purposes such as urban forest or
recreation purposes.
b Implement best management practices to reduce flooding and erosion and preserve the quality of
streams.
c Repurpose repetitive loss areas to park/conservation areas with ecosystem benefits.
d Participate in developing a regional approach to improve water quality at Lake Sequoyah and Lake
Fayetteville.
e Replace aged irrigation systems with water and energy -efficient systems and monitor for leaks.
f Coordinate with Fayetteville Climate Action Plan and Energy Action Plan to advance Parks, Natural
Resources and Cultural Affairs initiatives.
GOAL E2 PRIORITYACTIONS
Identify most vulnerable and/or impacted streams in parks and along trails and prioritize restoration.
Work with stormwater engineer to identify areas that would bring most value to community. Identify funding
source for improvements.
Complete Lake Fayetteville Water Quality Study.
Replace irrigation meters with smart meters.
Tomorrow's Parks 1 81
RESILIENT NATURAL SYSTEMS
Goal E3. Enhance the ecological performance of existing parks and
natural land properties.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Local parks such as Mount Sequoyah Woods Park brings nature into the City and is a unique
attribute of the Fayetteville Parks system. Integrating the native environment into the current
system could allow for the sense of `wild' to characterize local parks and enhance native
habitats and regional water systems. However, it also requires attention to non-traditional
maintenance practices to ensure the standard of safety and access is upkept. A Natural
Resources Management Plan can seek alignment with the Climate Action Plan, Urban Forestry
Plan, and this plan to ensure connectedness and maintenance of the natural systems.
a Improve management of natural resources within city properties and make improvements that enhance
performance for ecological/climate action purposes.
Create a dedicated natural resources team within parks maintenance to focus on natural areas. The
b team would initially focus on high -quality natural areas, expanding to other areas as they are restored
as the team grows.
C Coordinate with the Urban Forestry Plan to increase/improve tree canopy throughout the parks system
where appropriate.
d Integrate volunteers and environmental educators (such as the Watershed Conservation Resource
Center) into restoration and environmental enhancement projects.
e Educate about the value of non -conventional management practices such as prescribed burns,
livestock grazing, weed management and use of native grasses.
GOAL E3 PRIORITY•
Improve urban forests, waterways and habitats through native plantings and invasive species removal.
Identify opportunities to "rewild" parks and contribute to natural systems such as adding pollinator gardens
and native grasses, creating bird habitats, and diversifying plant materials starting at Centennial Park.
Create a Natural Resources Management Plan for best management and ecological/climate action
purposes.
Hire staff to implement the natural resource plan.
Create annual tree planting plan based on recommendations from the Urban Forestry Plan.
Explore all parks for opportunities for ecological improvement, including Underwood Park and Walker Park.
Develop a community education campaign for non -conventional management practices such as prescribed
burns, low mow, etc.
82 1 Tomorrow's Parks
KEY OPPORTUNITIES:
RESILIENT NATURAL SYSTEMS
The City has an existing streamside protection
ordinance, but more can be done to support
the local health of streams and improve
water quality. Stream restoration is a series of
interventions to improve the water flows, quality
and environmental health of a waterway and
riparian ecosystem. Efforts to improve water
quality include planting, bank stabilization, and
other green infrastructure. Restoration recreates
channel meanders, removes dams, and replaces
aging infrastructure. The re -connection of a
floodplain reduces water velocities to decrease
erosion and mitigate flooding. f-=
Skull Creek in Wilson Park
Lake Fayetteville
Restoring riparian plants and tree canopy is also
critical to regulate creek water temperatures
necessary to support aquatic life. Vegetative
buffers consist of planted vegetation, often tall
meadow grasses and native plantings, along a
waterway that captures runoff pollutants before
they enter local waters and prevent nitrogen -
heavy fertilizer pollution from entering the creek,
especially in locations with turf grass such as golf
courses, parks, and residential lawns.
to improve water quality at Lake Fayetteville,
Lake Sequoyah and Lake Wilson, the city should
explore regional system wide improvements at
the each lake. Green infrastructure throughout
the City would slow floodwater and reduce
pollutants or sediments in the water that collects
in the lakes. Best management practices could
include raingardens and bioswales in urban
areas. Reconstructed wetlands, expanded
floodplains, and increased riparian habitats
support ecological health along creeks, streams
and lakes in Fayetteville.
Lake Fayetteville
Tomorrow's Parks 1 83
PARKS
PRIORITIZATION
Considerations for prioritizing park improvements
are based on needs and gaps identified through
analysis. This includes identified gaps in park
provision within a 10-minute walk of homes, parks
evaluated to be in poor condition, recreation
trends data, and locations that the population
have a variety of socio-demographic, economic,
health disparities.
Public and stakeholder input regarding needs
and priorities also inform this prioritization, such
as from the 2021 community -wide survey:
• Improve or build parks in underserved areas
(74 percent)
• Improve existing parks and facilities (70
percent)
• Acquire additional land to protect and
preserve open space (68 percent)
• Acquire additional park land/open space for
future recreation needs (62 percent)
Over time, as key opportunities that arise, such
as grant funding availability or partnerships,
priorities may change. Park projects in the
Regional and Community parks listed to the
right have been identified to support the City of
Fayetteville in allocating funding over the next
five years.
Some projects currently funded and
expected to complete by the end of 2024
include improvements at Bryce Davis, Gulley,
Underwood, Walker, and Wilson community
parks. Improvements at Lake Fayetteville Softball
Complex are also funded.
Regional Park Improvements
Centennial
Drainage and Site Work
Park
Bike Skills Course
Kessler
Soccer Field Lights
Park
New Artificial Turf
Trailhead
Softball Complex
Lake
Playground
Fayetteville
y
Lake Forest Trail
Veterans Area
Improvements
Master Plan
Lake
Pavilion Enhancements
Wilson
Trail Enhancements
Signage
Community Park
Improvements
Master Plan
Bryce Davis
Acquire Land
Park
Trail Connection
Dog Park Enhancement
Tennis and Pickleball Courts
Stage and Pavilion
Gulley Park
Parking Addition
Dog Park
Prairie Area
Sports Hub
Walker
Skate Park
Park
Disc Golf
Art
Stream Restoration
Gardens
Wilson Tennis and Pickleball Courts
Park Sand Volleyball Courts
Pool Repair
Softball field Conversion
Rock House
84 1 Tomorrow's Parks
PRIORITY IMPROVEMENT CONSIDERATIONS
Layering in information related to park conditions, identification of demographics that indicate
different needs, park distribution gaps, and, equity priority areas have been identified to indicate
geographic areas that investment should be prioritized.
U M ■ �r.
0Alsor
`IL
MM
00.5 1 2
Miles
LAKE -� �
LAKE WILSON *Gaps where there is not 10 minute walking
accessability to a park
Park Gaps* City of Fayetteville Parks Vulnerability Zones
• Poor Park Condition Lakes, Ponds and Low Vulnerability
Residential Address Points Streams ❑
Medium Vulnerability
�
not within 10 minute ■ High Vulnerability
walking distance ■
Very High Vulnerability
Figure 18: Considerations for Park Improvement Prioritization
Source: Design Workshop, City of Fayetteville.
Tomorrow's Parks 1 85
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OPERATIONS,
MAINTENANCE
AND FUNDING
STRATEGIES
IN THIS CHAPTER
Projected Need
Operations and Staffing
Maintenance
Finance and Budget
87
PROJECTED NEED
INTRODUCTION
The goals and strategies outlined in the Park
and Recreation System Master Plan provide
recommendations to direct city staff and
partners to guide future planning for parks. The
implementation section provides additional
detailed information to move the goals and
strategies forward. The following chapter
provides an explanation of funding sources,
priority projects and financial implications through
the creation or modification of policies, staffing
changes and approach to maintenance.
GAP ANALYSIS
A common component of planning is utilizing
a gap analysis — "bridging the gap' between
today and the plans for the future. For this
plan, we examined what is the gap between
where the City is today (staff resources, funding,
maintenance, and parks and recreation offerings)
and where this plan is recommending the City
go, in order to understand what resources are
needed to bring it there. Previous chapters
explored where the City currently is and
Table 13: Recreation Structures LOS and Gap Analysis
proposals for the future, this chapter explores
implementation strategies for how the City
can work to achieve and maintain these future
goals — how they can "bridge the gap". It covers
various elements, including staffing, programs,
maintenance, partnerships, and funding.
MAINTAINING LEVEL OF SERVICE
The tables below and on the following pages
show the additional resources needed if the
current level of service (LOS) is maintained as the
status quo at Fayetteville's projected population
in 2040 (estimated at 142,496 per the City of
Fayetteville 2040 Plan).
Again, these tables show continuing at current
level of service. They do not account for
changing demographics and recreation trends,
inflation, or additional resource needs to support
the master plan recommendations.
For long-term success in parks and recreation,
the City should not look to cover only the gap
needed to remain at the status quo. It should
strive to move beyond, being willing to explore,
experiment, analyze, and adapt.
RECREATION STRUCTURES — MAINTAINING THE STATUS QUO
Current Current LOS Projected LOS Projected 2040 Difference
Type SF (Population (2040 Population SF Need if between Need Notes
per SF) per SF)* Current LOS** & Current
Recreation
Includes docks, piers,
Structures
18,290
5.1
7.8
27,741
9,451
and recreation open
- Open Air
air shelters
Recreation
Includes recreation
Structures
13,300
7.1
10.7
20,173
6,873
sheds, YRCC, and
- Enclosed
Wilson Park pool.
*Projected 2040 needs are based on maintaining the current LOS in Fayetteville and on a projected 2040 population of 142,496
**These projections are not meant as recommendations
**Projections do not account for inflation or new parks or facilities.
88 1 Operations, Maintenance and Funding Strategies
Table 14: Recreation Facilities LOS and Gap Analysis
RECREATION FACILITIES - MAINTAINING THE STATUS QUO
Projected Difference
Current LOS Projected
Current # of (Population LOS (2040 2040 Need at between
Type Facilities per Facility) Population Current LOS Need &
per Facility) Current
Basketball Courts
17
5,526
8,382
26
9
Batting Cages
24
3,915
5,937
36
12
Handball Courts
2
46,975
71,248
3
1
Horseshoes
20
4,697
7,125
30
10
Skate Park
1
93,949
142,496
2
1
Tennis Courts
7
13,421
20,357
11
4
Junior Tennis Courts
4
23,487
35,624
6
2
Volleyball Courts
5
18,790
28,499
8
3
Playgrounds*
25
3,758
5,700
38
13
Baseball Fields
18
6,711
7,916
27
9
Disc Golf
2
46,975
71,248
3
1
Soccer/ Multipurpose
Fields
15
6,263
9,500
23
8
Softball Fields
8
11,744
17,812
12
4
Lighted Fields (all sports)
32
3,355
4,453
49
17
Non -lighted Fields (all
sports)
g
10,439
15,833
14
5
Pools
1
93,949
142,496
2
1
Splash Pads
1
93,949
142,496
2
1
*LOS is 520 persons per playground when counting just the population under 15 years of age
Table 15: Combined Parks, Natural Resources and Cultural Affairs & Park Maintenance Budget and Staffing
BUDGET & STAFFING LOS AND GAP ANALYSIS - MAINTAINING THE STATUS QUO
2020
Projected LOS with
Projected 2040
Difference between
Type
Benchmarking
2020 LOS
2040 Population
Need to Maintain
Need & Current
Data
2020 LOS
Operating
expenditures per
$5,128,993
$58.62
$35.99
$7,779,338
$2,650,345
capita
FTE's per 10,000
59.2
6.8
4.2
89.8
30.6
population
*Projected 2040 needs are based on maintaining the current LOS in Fayetteville and on a projected 2040 population of 142,496
**These projections are not meant as recommendations
**Projections do not account for inflation or new parks or facilities.
Operations, Maintenance and Funding Strategies 1 89
BEYOND THE STATUS QUO
Adequate funding plays a key role in the City
successfully moving beyond the status quo. The
following tables explore what overall parks and
recreation budgets would be if the City targets
higher per capita operating budgets at current
and projected 2040 population levels, and
what the gap is between current funding levels
based on 2020 funding and the extrapolated
target budgets. Current funding levels are an
approximately $5.11VI budget and a $59 per capita
P&R operational spending. This is low compared
to the benchmark cities, showcasing that
Fayetteville's parks and recreation could greatly
benefit from increased resources. The per capita
funding targets used in the tables were chosen
as incremental stepping stones to progress
toward the per capita spending of selected peer
cities (see Chapter 2). Such increased operating
budgets will enable the City to hire additional
staff, support higher maintenance standards,
expand maintenance practices, and enhance
recreation programming — in other words, moving
beyond the current status quo.
Capital funding needs must also be considered.
Obviously, capital funding will be required for
improvements to and new parks and recreation
facilities, but additional capital funding is also
needed to support operations and maintenance
— and the department's long-term sustainability.
These capital needs include:
• New vehicles and equipment to support new
staff;
• Expanded or new support facilities for new
staff (offices, equipment storage, etc.);
• Funds to replace old and/or damaged
vehicles and equipment;
• Repairs and replacements of new assets in
the park system (e.g., additional benches,
lights, etc.); and
• Capital funding to reduce deferred
maintenance backlog.
Table 16: Per Capita Operating Extrapolated Budgets,
Current Population
PARKS & RECREATION PER CAPITA
EXTRAPOLATIONS - CURRENT POPULATION
Difference
Per Capita
Estimated P&R
Between
Funding Target
Budget
Estimated and
Current Budget
$81
$7,515,920
($2,066,698)
$100
$9,394,900
($3,945,678)
$140
$13,152,860
($7,703,638)
Table 17: Per Capita Operating Extrapolated Budgets,
Projected 2040 Population
PARKS & RECREATION PER CAPITA
EXTRAPOLATIONS - PROJECTED 2040
POPULATION
Difference
Per Capita
Estimated P&R
Between
Funding Target
Budget
Estimated and
Current Budget
$80
$11,399,680
($5,950,458)
$100
$14,249,600
($8,800,378)
$140
$19,949,440
($14,500,218)
90 1 Operations, Maintenance and Funding Strategies
WOperating Expenses ,
AWV,I$. y^81 :_:� $5.9
NRPA-�a;i Fayetteville y '
Average - Average per'
per Capita f f Capita
*Note: $59 per capita"
is 73% of the national
. average.
83%
Average for Full Time Employees per
10,000 Population
8.1
NRPA
Average �a
per Capita
6.7
Fayetteville
Average per
` Capita
dL
Operations and Staffing
How the department is run and the4
people carrying out day to day tasks
are the foundation for successful
operations and management.
Having effective service delivery,
strong internal communication
and collaboration, and updated
programming strategies will lay
important groundwork for other
implementation efforts.
T
OPERATIONS AND STAFFING
The following are recommendations from parks
operations consultants ETM Associates for
Fayetteville to maintain and improve operations
and staffing over the next five years.
SERVICE DELIVERY AND ANTICIPATED
NEEDS
Provide competitive avenues for retaining and
attracting staff and interns.
Regularly evaluate employee pay grades as
compared to surrounding areas and implement
adjustments in order to remain competitive.
Advertise internship opportunities with local
schools, and look to formalize an internship
program with the University of Arkansas.
Ensure staff have the proper equipment and
adequate facilities to support maintenance and
administration.
Plan for satellite maintenance and/or storage
facilities in new park spaces as the park system
expands to better provide services while
reducing travel and non -productive time for
additional storage or specialized equipment
and offer basic staff facilities. Additionally, as
the technology continues to improve, pursue
electric vehicles and equipment purchases. Build
capacity to charge and maintain these purchases
as parks, facilities, and support spaces (offices,
maintenance facilities, etc.) are upgraded and
constructed.
Incorporate technology into staff workflows and
City facilities.
Continue to use and expand the use of
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and
asset management tracking software. Ensure
staff have time allocated for training and
continuing education in the system. Look to
incorporate information about park assets into
the GIS system. (Information may include asset
condition, level of maintenance standard, product
information, age of asset, etc.). As new parks are
constructed or older parks upgraded, consider
how technology can be incorporated to better
facilitate programming and events (e.g., WiFi for
passive use, electric hookups for concerts, etc.)
ORGANIZATIONAL
RECOMMENDATIONS
With parks maintenance now under the Public
Works department, a significant element of the
organizational recommendations is ensuring
parks maintenance stays focused on and
connected to parks, recreation, and cultural
affairs. To that end, specific recommendations
include the following:
Formalize working relationships between Parks
Maintenance and PNCA .
Formalized relationships will help communication
and cooperation remain strong as new staff
replace existing staff. This can be done as
standing coordination meetings with leadership,
regular joint document review, or a combination.
In particular, ensure parks maintenance staff
are able to coordinate with recreation and
programming staff to best time maintenance work
around events.
Ensure the focus of Parks Maintenance.
Keep Parks Maintenance as its own division
within Public Works and clearly note that these
staff are not to be pulled for general public works
projects (they are solely for parks maintenance).
Create a dedicated natural resources team.
The team can be within parks maintenance to
focus on regional parks and natural areas. The
team would initially focus on high -quality natural
areas, expanding to other areas as they are
restored and the team grows. (See Maintenance
Recommendations for additional context.)
Allocate staff time within leadership positions to
review and analyze data.
In order to continually update practices and
policies to best match the current needs of the
community, staff must have adequate time to
review available information and see what trends
it reveals.
92 1 Operations, Maintenance and Funding Strategies
PROGRAM STRATEGIES
Define and adjust Core Programs.
It is important for the City to define core
programs and facilities — those that are at the
"heart" of the City's recreation offerings — in order
to be able to focus efforts to these programs
when resources are limited. Generally speaking,
core programs have a significant impact on and
a long history in the community, are offered
with low cost recovery/high subsidy, and
similar programs or facilities are not offered at
comparable cost locally. Examples of the City's
core programs based on these criteria are listed
in Chapter 2. As part of this planning effort, the
"Defining Significant Programs Worksheet" was
developed as a tool for the City to use for a
more detailed analysis of recreation programs.
(Note that the worksheet is aimed at defining
core / significant programs, not those that are
operating most effectively.) The worksheet is
recommended to be filled out every two years for
new programs and every four years for existing
programs. Periodically (every three to five years)
review the list of core programs and adjust based
on current trends and new data.
Selectively trial new programs.
New programs added by the City should be
chosen with thought and planning. When
exploring the creation of new programs, the
City should look to avoid duplication of similar
programs offered by partners and other local
organizations. Give new programs a trial period
of three years as new programs often take more
than a year to gain traction. Track attendance
data and conduct surveys of attendees for the
new program.
Regularly evaluate existing programs for
potential changes:
Just like physical assets, programs can also
have lifecycles. Some may be short-lived, while
others may be offered for decades. Numerous
factors influence program lifecycle — attendance/
popularity, participant feedback, facility and
equipment needs, availability of instructors, and
larger recreational trends, to name a few. As such,
the City should base its recreation programs'
lifecycles on internal analysis of program metrics
and local conditions.
Similar to new programs, evaluate existing
programs on a two -to -three-year cycle as staff
resources allow. In the evaluation the City should
examine current and past data, looking for trends,
and consider future demographic projections.
Consider program changes based on the
analysis, this may include changing the time or
days the program is offered, how it is offered/
the format, expanding the program, or stopping
it completely, etc. Like trialing new programs,
give any major changes time to be tested by the
community, unless there is significant feedback
to roll back any changes sooner.
The City's evaluation should also consider
local recreation market trends in how to adjust
the City's programs. For instance, are similar
programs being offered in the area, and if
so, what can the City offer that is different or
supplements those programs. This can also be
an opportunity to adjust the City's programs to
better serve portions of Fayetteville's population
who may not be well served by current programs.
For example, mountain biking programs are
numerous in northwest Arkansas. Instead of
offering basic mountain biking programs in an
already saturated market, the City can look to
offer open group rides with bikes available to
rent or offer biking programs to demographics
not currently served by other local programs.
Expand tracking metrics for recreation
programs:
Making informed decisions about programs
is best served by collecting and analyzing
information collected on those programs. The
City currently tracks several metrics now, but
should expand to track additional metrics that
will help in evaluating programs. Such metrics
include: how programs are marketed; how
programs are impacted by weather; and the type
of registration for the program (pre -registration
only, drop -ins only, or a combination). Participant
surveys could also be expanded to include
questions on how important the program is, and
feedback on potential new programs or changes
to programs.
Offer additional support for program volunteers.
Ensure program volunteers have the resources
and training they need to operate programs, such
as training for coaching or refereeing.
Operations, Maintenance and Funding Strategies 1 93
MAINTENANCE
Maintenance is a key component of success
in parks and recreation systems, and critical
to implementing the recommendations in this
master plan document. The four broad categories
of maintenance strategies discussed in this
section address:
• Revising existing maintenance standards;
• Expanding natural resource management;
• Analyzing and evaluating maintenance
practices; and
• Planning for future maintenance.
MAINTENANCE STANDARDS SUMMARY
As part of the master planning effort, reviewing
and revising the City's existing maintenance
standards was desired in order to better align
them with the current and proposed parks and
their maintenance needs. The revised standards
will also help the City better understand the
resources that may be required in order to
maintain parks at the desired standards and
develop funding and staffing targets to achieve
these resources.
The recommended revised maintenance
standards address both parks and trails within
the City. Standards can apply to a whole park
or trail, or just a portion of a park or trail; for
example, a high use area of a park may be
maintained at a Level 2 standard, while the
lower use areas of the park may be maintained
at a Level 3 standard, as shown in the adjacent
diagram.
The revised standards include seven levels for
park maintenance. Standards of care for trails are
divided into three subsets based on whether the
trails are hard or soft trails, and if they are named.
Park and trail standards are summarized in the
accompanying tables.
A full copy of the revised maintenance standards
is included in the Appendix H.
Higher maintenance standards require more
staffing and resources. If the community and the
City wish to increase the overall level of service
for the park system, additional funding and staff
will be needed. If the City is lacking resources,
standards may need to be decreased, which can
result in deferred maintenance.
HARDSURFACE TRAIL
LEVEL VARYS BY CONTEXT
(LEVEL4 MINIMUM)
LINEAR PARK
LEVEL 5
9
LEVEL ;
2 COMMUNITY PARK
LEVEL i ' MIXED LEVELS BASED
S ON USE & AMENITIES
t LEVEL
3
I
d
o URBAN
o p
NEIGHBORHOOD PARK
LEVEL 4
W INFMI
Figure 19: Example of Application of Maintenance
Standards to Different Parks and Trails
94 1 Operations, Maintenance and Funding Strategies
Table 18: Revised Maintenance Standards — Park Standards Summary
Park
Maintenance
Level Description
Parks and Park Spaces
Level
Maintained at this Standard
Maximum maintenance applied to high use, high recreational, economic,
and cultural assets. These are areas of high use and high visibility,
Square Gardens and Ramble Civic
1
with frequent programing occurring on site. These areas require daily
Space
maintenance for restroom and trash pickup and have high quality
horticulture elements that require maintenance multiple times per week.
High levels of maintenance applied to a high -quality diverse landscape
High Use areas of Community
2
associated with high use and high visibility. Maintenance is typically
and Regional Parks and Athletic
performed multiple times per week.
Complexes
Consistent, quality maintenance for regularly attended, lower use parks
Lower but still actively used areas of
and lower use areas of high use parks. Maintenance should ensure a
Regional and Community Parks, and
3
safe, attractive, and functional site and accommodate this steady and
high use areas of the most popular
medium levels of visitors. Maintenance is typically performed once to
neighborhood parks such as Gordon
twice per week.
Long west of creek
Consistent but moderate maintenance for typical neighborhood parks
Finger and Rodney Ryan Parks
4
(relatively lower but regular use). Maintenance is typically performed
(mowed areas)
every week to every other week.
Moderate to low level of maintenance associated with lower use parks
Low use neighborhood parks with no
5
and those with limited amenities. Maintenance is typically performed
playgrounds and natural areas with
weekly to monthly.
few amenities
6
Lower level of maintenance associated with limited use areas.
Low use parks and natural areas with
Maintenance is typically performed monthly or seasonally.
minimal amenities
Lowest levels of maintenance associated with remote natural areas and
Undeveloped parkland, regional lake
7
undeveloped parcels. Maintenance is typically performed as needed or
surfaces
on a complaint basis.
Table 19: Revised Maintenance Standards — Trail Standards Summary
Trail Maintenance Level
Level Description
Trails Maintained at this Standard
Trails are maintained at a minimum of Level 4 of the parks
HST
maintenance standards or at the level of the park space
All hard surface trails
the trail space is passing through, whichever is higher
Trails are maintained at the same level of care as the area
UST
they are located in (e.g., unnamed trail in a Level 3 park
All unnamed soft surface trails
area will be maintained at Level 3)
SST1
Trails receive care every other week.
Centennial, Cross Country, MTB, and
cyclocross race trails
SST2
Trails receive care monthly.
High use biking and hiking trails with
technical features
SST3
Trails receive care monthly, but have a lower priority than
Simple high use biking and hiking trails
SST2 trails.
with few to no technical features
SST4
Trails receive minimal maintenance, with hazards and
Low use simple trails
damage addressed as reported.
Operations, Maintenance and Funding Strategies 1 95
EXPANSION OF NATURAL RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT
Natural areas are a considerable component
of the City's open spaces but currently receive
little management. Expanding natural resource
management will increase the value the natural
areas bring to both visitors and nature.
Prepare a natural resources management plan.
As an initial step, the City should develop
a natural resources management plan that
inventories natural resources, identifies priority
areas for restoration, and classifies management
strategies for different types of natural areas.
A consultant with experience in natural
resource inventories and management plans is
recommended to complete this work.
Build capacity for natural resource
management in the City's natural areas.
Second, the City should create a natural resource
team that will work with contractors and partners
to restore and maintain natural areas. As initial
restoration efforts can be resource -intensive, it
is recommended that the City work with other
groups/partners and hired contractors to actively
restore degraded natural areas, first working
to restore priority areas noted in the natural
resource plan. Partners and contractors can and
should also assist with maintenance during the
first few years after restoration. As the restored
landscape mature and maintenance needs
decrease, they can be managed by the City
team, with support from contracted services for
specialized maintenance as needed. Note that
a natural resource team is not the same as a
horticulture team; each requires different types of
skill and knowledge.
ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF
MAINTENANCE PRACTICES
Maintenance practices work best when they
are able to be modified over time to meet the
evolving needs of the City and the community.
is important to build in time to staff's workloads
for them to collect data, adequately analyze it,
and draft updated practices as appropriate.
• Regularly evaluate maintenance efforts
through review of maintenance standards,
staff work logs, GIS data (if implemented), etc.
and adjust resources as needed.
• Regularly evaluate maintenance contracts.
Renegotiate, pursue new contracts, or
transition work to an in-house team as
appropriate.
PLANNING FOR FUTURE
MAINTENANCE
By taking a proactive approach and integrating
maintenance into design, planning, and
budgeting, PNCA will have a better chance at
securing the needed resources to effectively
maintain their facilities. Recommended strategies
include:
Adopting a preventative building and facility
maintenance program.
Identify the maintenance needs and how often
they should be performed, following up with staff
or contractors to ensure tasks are completed.
Ensuring the building and facilities are regularly
kept up with minimal deferred maintenance
will extend their lifespans and reduce costly
capital repairs. This can also help budget for
maintenance needs each year.
Ensure maintenance staff can provide input into
proposed park and facility designs.
Staff can provide input on maintenance concerns
as well as standard materials and amenities that
can help streamline maintenance. Reviewing
designs also allows for maintenance staff to
better understand the anticipated maintenance
needs and the associated impact on staff and
resources. (For example, are more staff and
equipment needed to adequately maintain and
operate the new park or facility?)
Estimate staff hours and costs associated with
each maintenance standard level.
It As much as feasible, use staff data/input and
work orders to estimate an annual number of
hours and annual cost of maintenance associated
with each maintenance standard level. This can
96 1 Operations, Maintenance and Funding Strategies
help estimate future staff needs and maintenance
costs of new parks and facilities based on their
anticipated level of care, as well as estimate the
resources needed to increase the service level of
an existing park or area of a park.
Incorporate life cycle planning into parks and
recreation maintenance and budgeting.
Life cycle planning involves estimating how long
an asset (such as a bench, basketball court, etc.)
is expected to last; regularly inspecting that
asset and noting its condition; using its condition
and use history plus the initial expected lifespan
to estimate when the asset will need to be
replaced; and finally allocate the needed funding
into the capital budget for repairs or replacement.
If desired, anticipated maintenance needs can
also be incorporated into life cycle planning. For
example, noting that as certain assets age, they
experience wear and tear, and will require more
repairs and maintenance in later life until they
need to be replaced. For living assets, such as
trees, meadows, or wetlands, the additional care
they need to establish and later in maturity as the
plants may decline can also be noted.
Kids Recreation Programs
Operations, Maintenance and Funding Strategies 1 97
FINANCE AND BUDGET
FINANCE & FUNDING
RECOMMENDATIONS
Most municipal governments across the country
are facing staffing and funding challenges,
with parks and recreation often "competing"
with other departments for funding and local
markets for jobs. Even with these challenges, it
is important that parks and recreation continue
to receive adequate public funding to support
the wide range of benefits parks and recreation
provide to the community and to avoid creation
of an insurmountable maintenance backlog. Still,
City funds alone cannot fully support a high -
quality, high-class parks and recreation system.
It is key that parks and recreation explore new
and diverse funding sources to improve overall
financial sustainability and also explore ways
to best leverage available City funding. For
example, as new sources of operating funding
are found, some of the HMR funding can shift to
be used for capital projects. It is important the
City focuses on securing its desired funding for
maintenance of current properties and keeping
up with the increased population. As noted in
the benchmarking, Fayetteville has lower cost
recovery within PNCA compared to peer cities,
tied to the City's current approach to parks
and recreation. The City may have to be more
entrepreneurial to get additional funding and
improve overall cost recovery, but it is important
to balance that with the City's goals to provide
services to all members of the community.
Several strategies are presented below:
Identify incremental per capita funding targets.
Set targets by time frame: establishing a short-
term per capita funding target for 2025, a mid-
range target for 2030, and a long-range target for
2040. Potential targets could be $70 per capita
for 2025, $85 for 2030, and $100 for 2040.
98 1 Operations, Maintenance and Funding Strategies
Explore the use of tools to calculate the value
of Fayetteville's green assets that can then be
used to inform budgetary discussions.
I -Tree ECO is a widely -used tool for measuring
the value of ecosystems delivered by trees, while
Design Council's 2008 report, "The Real Value
of Park Assets", provides recommendations for
how the value of natural assets in parks can be
measured. The City can consider adapting some
of these methods to estimate the value of its
park spaces, particularly natural assets, and use
these to pursue additional funding (potentially
in support of expanded management for natural
resources).
Utilize capital funding to address priority
deferred maintenance items.
An annual capital funding item can identify
which deferred maintenance items that will be
addressed. If enough resources exist to perform
the work, the City can pursue an aggressive
target, but a more typical approach is allocating
an amount each year to steadily address
deferred maintenance items. Alternatively, a bond
item targeted toward deferred maintenance can
also be considered.
Budget for maintenance in new projects.
In addition to using developed estimated
maintenance staff needs and costs (see
"Planning for Future Maintenance), the City
should also standardize building an allowance
for maintenance into capital projects and
sponsorships. For example, a sponsorship for
a new art piece would include the cost for the
piece and ten years of maintenance.
Seek new and expanded funding sources for
aquatics.
Sources may include school or public -
private partnerships (see "Partnership
Recommendations"), grants, bonds, or local
fundraisers. Funding can be used towards
an aquatics study, improvements or upkeep
of existing facilities, and/or construction and
maintenance of new facilities.
Consistently revisit recreation program fee
increases and update over time.
Fee increases should be balanced between
increasing operating costs and the local
community market. (Complete cost recovery is
not a goal.) Programs and facilities whose fees
have not been increased in three or more years
are typically the best candidates for increases.
Explore utilizing a property tax increase
dedicated toward parks and recreation
operations.
Discuss with County governments and regional
groups the potential for a County -wide or
Regional tax that can support parks and
recreation throughout the area, with some of
that funding going toward City facilities.
Engage local businesses for corporate
sponsorships and regularly review and update
sponsorship policies as needed.
Augment the City's resources through public -
private partnerships.
On a larger scale, explore the creation of a city-
wide parks foundation to advocate, steward,
and accept donations on behalf of parks and
recreation. (Several precedents exist across the
county, including the Allen Parks Foundation
(Allen, Texas); Seattle Parks Foundation (Seattle,
Washington); and Montgomery Parks Foundation
(Montgomery County, Maryland)). On a smaller
scale, look to leverage other partnerships that
can assist with operations, maintenance, and
programming for individual parks or recreation
facilities, thereby freeing up City resources
for other parks and recreation projects. (See
Partnership recommendations below.)
Operations, Maintenance and Funding Strategies 1 99
PARTNERSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS
Partners and volunteers are invaluable pieces of
a successful parks and recreation system — they
can help both supplement the City's in-house
capabilities and fill in missing service gaps.
The City currently boasts several successful
recreation partnerships as well as robust
volunteer support for both recreation and parks
maintenance. However, the City has only a
few operations -related partnerships including
Fayetteville Boys and Girls Club, the Fayetteville
Senior Activity Center, Friends of the YRCC and
the Ozark Off -Road Cyclists.
This plan recommends working to continue
and strengthen these current partnerships and
volunteerism, while also exploring additional
opportunities to expand the type and scope of
partners and volunteers. In particular, the City
should look to increase general park -based and
natural resource focused partnerships. More
specific recommendations include the following:
Effectively manage partnerships, formalizing
them as needed.
Ensure records of all partnerships are kept in a
centralized depository accessible by appropriate
staff. In addition, formalize partnerships with
Memorandums of Understanding as needed.
Through changes in organizations and their
staffs, formalizing a relationship promotes both
continuity and accountability.
Explore new recreation partnerships to expand
the variety of programs available to City
residents.
These can include partners to provide programs
not before offered as well as partners to provide
programs that the City may phase out as part of
their recreation program strategies.
Utilize public -private partnerships to expand the
services offered through the City.
Explore public -private partnerships to construct
and operate new recreation facilities. This may
be done through public -sector leasing, build -
and -transfer leasebacks, or build, own, and
operate leasebacks. The City of Mansfield, Texas
currently has six public -private partnerships
(listed on https://www.mansfieldtexas.gov/989/
Public -Private -Partners) where Mansfield paid
for construction of the recreation facility and
the facility is now operated privately, with
the managing organization paying the City of
Mansfield for use of the facility.
Consider forming public -private partnerships to
support maintenance, programming, and overall
operations for signature, high -use parks and
public spaces.
Form partnerships with existing natural
resource groups.
Such partnerships will supplement the City's
limited capacity for natural resource projects
and encourage local stewardship. They can
also serve as a gateway to build more in-house
capacity for natural resources, with partnerships
performing restoration projects and the City
providing the staff to maintain them once
restoration is mostly completed.
Partner with local land trusts for acquisition
strategies.
Continually promote and expand volunteer
efforts.
Utilize a single platform to recruit, train, and
mobilize parks and recreation volunteers
to improve management efficiency and
coordination.
Annually recognize volunteers and their
contributions through an annual volunteer
report and/or award programs. Both groups and
individuals should be recognized.
Hold a city-wide "Celebrate Our Parks" / "You
Gotta Have Parks" day to encourage residents
to visit and volunteer in their local city parks and
to raise awareness of the importance of parks to
residents and visitors.
100 1 Operations, Maintenance and Funding Strategies
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TOMORROW'S PARKS
APPENDIX A
PARKS INVENTORY
Table 20: Parks Inventory and Recreation Offering
CITY MAINTAINED PARKS AND OPEN SPACES WITH PUBLIC ACCESS
Name
Classification
Outdoor Recreation Offerings
Acres
Centennial Park
Regional
Trails
232.4
Kessler Mountain
Regional
1 Playground, 4 Baseball fields, 7 Soccer Fields (full-sized), 2 Restrooms, 5 Parking
Lots, Sports Complex
619.7
Lake Fayetteville
Regional
Lake ,1 Nature Center,1 Pavilion, 1 Restroom, 2 Parking Lot, 1 Disc Golf (18 baskets),1
Grill
594.5
Lake Sequoyah Park
Regional
Lake,1 Restrooms, 2 Parking Lots, 1 Grill
1393.6
Lake Wilson Park
Regional
Lake,1 Pavilion, 2 Parking Lots
320
Bryce Davis Park
Community
1 Playground, 3 Pavilions,1 Restroom, 2 Parking Lots, 1 Grill,1 Basketball Court (Full)
26.1
Gulley Park
Community
1 Playground, 2 Pavilions,1 Restroom, 2 Parking Lots, 2 Grills
38
Underwood Park
Community
55.3
Walker Park
Community
2 Playgrounds, Senior Center, 1 Restroom, 1 Parking Lot, 2 Grills, 1 Baseball Field, 2
Soccer Fields (full-size), Natural Area
74
Wilson Park
Community
1 Playground, 1 Pavilion,1 Restroom, 5 Parking Lots, 9 Grills, 2 Basketball Courts (Full),
1 Softball Field, 5 Tennis Courts (full-size), 4 Tennis Courts (Jr. size), 1 Volleyball court
22.8
Bayyari Park
Neighborhood
1 Playground, 1 Grill
7.4
Braden Park
Neighborhood
1 Playground
2.3
Bundrick Park
Neighborhood
2 Playgrounds, 2 Grills
4.3
Charles J. Finger Park
Neighborhood
1 Playground, 1 Pavilion,1 Restroom,1 Parking Lot, 3 Grills,1 Basketball Court (Half)
19
Clarence Craft Park
Neighborhood
1 Pavilion, 1 Grill
6.6
Dale Clark Park
Neighborhood
Boys and Girls Club
8.2
David Lashley Park
Neighborhood
1 Playground, 1 Pavilion
4.6
Doc Mashburn Park
Neighborhood
1 Playground, 1 Pavilion,1 Parking Lot
1.3
Gordon Long Park
Neighborhood
1 Playground, 1 Restroom,1 Parking Lot
6.6
Greathouse Park
Neighborhood
1 Playground, 1 Parking Lot
7.9
Gregory Park
Neighborhood
1 Pavilion,1 Restroom,1 Parking Lot
19.4
Harmony Pointe Park
Neighborhood
1 Playground, 1 Pavilion,1 Parking Lot
8.4
Holland Park
Neighborhood
1 Playground, 1 Pavilion, 1 Grill, 1 Basketball Court (Half)
5
Hotz Park
Neighborhood
1 Playground, 1 Grill
1
Hughmont Village Land
Neighborhood
Undeveloped
3
Mount Sequoyah Gardens
Neighborhood
1 Pavilion,1 Parking Lot
3
Ralph 'Buddy' Hayes Park
Neighborhood
Conservation Area
0.4
Red Oak Park
Neighborhood
1 Playground, 2 Pavilions,1 Grill, 1 Basketball Court (Full),
8.7
Rodney Ryan Park
Neighborhood
1 Playground, 1 Pavilion,1 Parking Lot
7.8
Salem Park
Neighborhood
1 Playground, 1 Pavilion,1 Basketball Court (Half)
1.8
Spring Street Park
Neighborhood
Mini Park
0.1
Square Gardens
Neighborhood
Plaza,1 Parking Lot
0.3
St. Joseph Park
Neighborhood
Mini Park
0.2
Sweetbriar Park
Neighborhood
1 Playground, 1 Grill,1 Basketball Court (Half)
4.1
Trammell Park
Neighborhood
Undeveloped
1.3
White River Park
Neighborhood
Sports Complex, Natural Area, 1 Restrooms, 2 Parking Lots, 2 Baseball Fields
51.6
Yvonne Richardson
Community Center
Neighborhood
1 Community Center, 1 Playgrounds,1 Pavilion, 1 Restrooms, 2 Parking Lots, 2
Volleyball Courts
1.9
Gary Hampton Softball
Complex
Lewis Soccer Complex
Special Use
Special Use
Holcomb Lease, Sports Complex, 1 Pavilion,1 Restrooms,1 Parking Lot, 1 Grill, 4
Softball Fields
Sports Complex, 1 Restrooms, 1 Parking Lot, 5 Soccer Fields (full-size)
21.6
24.5
Brooks -Hummel Nature
Preserve
Natural Area
Conservation Area
13.8
HE
Table 20: Parks Inventory and Recreation Offering
CITY MAINTAINED PARKS AND OPEN SPACES WITH PUBLIC ACCESS
Fay Jones Woods
Natural Area
Conservation Area
5.9
Friendship Natural Area
Natural Area
Low park/conservation potential
0.4
Hill Place Land'World Peace
Wetland Prairie'
Natural Area
Undeveloped
4.1
Madison Natural Area
Natural Area
Natural Area
13.5
Mount Sequoyah Woods Park
Natural Area
Nature Trails,1 Pavilion,1 Parking Lot
97.3
Ridgeway View
Natural Area
Conservation Area
5
Rocky Branch
Natural Area
Conservation Area
5.7
Cato Springs Trail Corridor
Greenway
2.49 miles of paved trails
1.2
Clabber Creek Trail Corridor
Greenway
4.03 miles of paved trails
50.2
Clear Creek Trail Corridor
Greenway
1.22 miles of paved trails
0
Hamestring Creek Trail
Corridor
Greenway
0.78 miles of paved trails
20.4
Meadow Valley Trail Corridor
Greenway
2.43 miles of paved trails
0
Mud Creek Trail Corridor
Greenway
2.90 miles of paved trails
30.1
Niokaska Creek Trail Corridor
Greenway
3.04 miles of paved trails
10.5
Oak Ridge Trail Corridor
Greenway
0.58 miles of paved trails
0
Park Meadows Trail Corridor
Greenway
0.7 miles of paved trails
1.6
Raven Trail Corridor
Greenway
0.25 miles of paved trails
1.4
Saint Paul Trail Corridor
Greenway
1.17 miles of paved trails
0
Scull Creek Trail Corridor
Greenway
4.07 miles of paved trails
31.7
Shiloh Trail Corridor
Greenway
1.72 miles of paved trails
1.3
Town Branch Trail Corridor
Greenway
2.17 miles of paved trails
6.9
Tsa La Gi Trail Corridor
Greenway
1.75 miles of paved trails
0.4
Combs Park
Undeveloped
3 Pavilions, 1 Parking Lot, 2 Grills
85.3
CO-OP Park
Undeveloped
Undeveloped
1.3
Habitat for Humanity Land
Undeveloped
Undeveloped, Low park/conservation potential
3.6
Lierly Lane Park
Undeveloped
Undeveloped
3.2
Owl Creek Park
Undeveloped
Undeveloped
17
Park Meadows
Undeveloped
Undeveloped
7
Quarry Trace Park
Undeveloped
Undeveloped
2.5
Stone Mountain Park
Undeveloped
Undeveloped, Conservation Area
8.2
Bryce Davis Park Trail:
Undeveloped
0.18
Cross Creek Trail
Greenway
0.10
Frisco Trail:
Greenway
2.38
Happy Hollow Trail
Greenway
0.14
Kitty Creek Trail:
Greenway
0.21
Lake Fayetteville Trail:
Greenway
5.36
Owl Creek Trail:
Greenway
0.26
Pinnacle Prairie Trail
Greenway
0.13
Walker Park Trail:
Greenway
0.46
Source: Design Workshop, Fayetteville G/S data/City Provided Data 2021
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