HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 83-163 ,P3-/6 -3
R E S O L U T I O N
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF' BEAUMONT:
THAT the proposed Recovery Action Program for the Parks and
Recreation Department, as attached hereto as Exhibit "A" , is hereby
approved, and the City Manager be, and he is hereby, authorized to
execute all the necessary documents to initiate funding .
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL of the City of Beaumont this
the 3,44e day of
- Mayor -
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Q�IIS�Oo LJ Ll
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Beaumont , Texas
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RECOVERY ACTION PROGRAM
BEAUMONT, TEXAS
Prepared by the City of Beaumont,
Planning Department, with
Technical Assistance from
the Parks and Recreation Department
April , 1983
MAYOR
WILLIAM E. (BILL) NEILD
CITY COUNCIL
WARD I - BILL COX
WARD II - EVELYN LORD
WARD III - JOE DESHOTEL
WARD IV - G. WAYNE TURNER
PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE
DR. BRUCE DRURY, CHAIRMAN
HOWARD CLOSE
FLOYD DIXON
KATY LANE DUFF
JACK GREER
CLIFFORD HARDEMAN
E. A. LaBAUVE
ED MOORE
LARRY PORTER
CLYDE VINCENT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART 1: ASSESSMENT
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1. 1
CHAPTER 2 CONTEXT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.1
Geographic Location. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.2
Natural Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.2
Population Size and Trends. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.4
Socio-Economic Characteristics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.6
Economic Conditions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.12
Form of Government. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2. 13
Position of Parks Department in City
Government. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2. 13
How Planning for Park and Recreation
Services is Achieved. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2. 14
Relationship of Recreation Planning
with Comprehensive Planning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.15
Numbers and Types of Persons Served. . . . . . . . . . . .2.16
Review of Services Provided. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.17
Accessibility of the System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.17
Recent and Proposed Changes in the
System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.28
Description of Current City Functions
Associated with Parks and Recreation. . . . . . . . . . .2.29
Approaches Used for Citizen Involvement. . . . . . . .2.32
Public Input into the RAP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.34
CHAPTER 3 INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3. 1
Physical Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3. 1
Park Site Deficiencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.11
Locational Deficiencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.15
Facility Deficiencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.16
Service Area Deficiencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3. 16
Future Park Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3. 18
Recreation Facilities and Equipment. . . . . . . ... . . .3.20
Special Facilities for the Elderly and
Handicapped. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.24
Facilities with Historical or Archi-
tectural Significance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.25
Other Sources of Recreational
Opportunities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.26
Factors Affecting Demand for Parks and
Recreational Facilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.30
Inventory of Natural Areas and Areas of
Special Environmental Interest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.38
Rehabilitation Needs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.47
Value of Rehabilitation Over Replacement. . . . . . .3.51
Recreation Services and Activities. . . . . . . . . . . . .3.53
Service Inventory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.53
Special Programs for Elderly, Handi-
capped and Minorities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.57
Other Recreation Providers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.58
Service Deficiencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.61
Coordination with Other Jurisdictions. . . . . . . . . .3.62
Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.64
Budgetting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.67
CHAPTER 4 ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.1
Issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.2
Conclusions and Implications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.10
PART 2: ACTION PLAN
CHAPTER 5 ACTION PLAN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.1
Goals for the System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5. 1
Strategies to Address National and
Local Concerns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.3
Recommendations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.5
Long-Range Physical Development Plan. . . . . . . . . . .5.5
Alternatives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.5
Preferred Alternatives (Recommendations) . . . . . . .5..8
Program Priorities and Implementation
Schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.14
Evaluation and Updating of the Action
Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.16
APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1 Neighborhood Survey: Recreation Section
APPENDIX 2 1982 Annual Report on Park Plan
APPENDIX 3 Excerpts from Gifts Catalog (now in
progress)
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE # PAGE
2-1 Beaumont and South East Texas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.3
2-2 Geographic Distribution of Black Population. . . . . .2.9
2-3 Population Distribution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.11
3-1 Existing Parks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.2
3-2 Neighborhood Park Service Areas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3. 13
3-3 Community Park Service Areas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.14
3-4 Service Area Deficiencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3. 17
3-5 School Sites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.27
3-6 Persons Under 18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.33
3-7 Persons 65 or Over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.34
3-8 Income Distribution: Poverty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.39
3-9 Residential Density. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.40
3-10 Areas of Special Environmental Interests. . . . . . . . .3.42
3-11 Distribution of Sites Needing Rehabilitation. . . . .3.48
5-1 Development Plan (Policies and Proposals
Diagram). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E.6
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE # PAGE
2-1 Population Trends. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.7
2-2 Recreation Facilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.18
2-3 Recreation Programs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.19
3-1 Parks and Facilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.3
3-2 Park Site Deficiencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.12
3-3 Projected Park Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.19
3-4 Complete Listing of Facilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.21
3-5 Recreational Facility Deficiencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.22
3-6 Projected Need for Recreational Facilities. . . . . . .3.23
3-7 School Sites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.28
3-8 Population Forecast by Age. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.32
3-9 Options: Rehabilitation vs. Replacement. . . . . . . . .3.52
3-10 Organizations Cooperating with the Parks
and Recreation Department. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.60a
3-11 Parks and Recreation Department Personnel . . . . . . . .3.65
3-12 Parks and Recreation Department Budgets:
1981-1983. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.68
5-1 Action Plan Summary (Relationship of
Issues, Implications, Goals, Objectives,
and Recommendations) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.2
5-2 Alternatives Considered in Forumlating
Recommendations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.7
5-3 Program Priorities and Implementation
Schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.15
PART 1 :
ESS RENT
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
During the past two years, the City of Beaumont has substantially
increased its committment to improving the quality of its park and
recreation services and facilities. The level of governmental financial
support for the park and recreation program has been increased, public
interest and support of park and recreation improvements has noticably
intensified, and a comprehensive plan for long-range development and
rehabilitation of the park system has been prepared by the City staff and
adopted by the City Council .
Participation in the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Program (UPARR)
is seen as a potential means of translating the City's committment to park
system recovery into tangible improvements in the quality and availability
of recreational opportunities provided to Beaumont's neighborhoods . Any
meaningful effort to revitalize the existing park and recreation system
will require hard decisions to be made as to where and how the limited
resources available for rehabilitation can be utilized with the greatest
impact.
The Recovery Action Plan is Beaumont's response to the need for a process
for coordinating the efforts of the public, private, and volunteer sectors
to improve recreational opportunities for the city's residents. The RAP
addresses critical recreation issues which must be confronted within the
next few years and proposes policies and strategies for resolving these
issues. Emphasis is placed upon policies and strategies which favor
conservation and renovation over new construction, coordination over
1. 1
fragmentation and innovation over massive capital expenditures .
The RAP is divided into two sections. Section I, the Assessment, provides
a description of the social , geographic, political and fiscal context of
the recreation system and an inventory and analysis of physical , service,
and management concerns. The Assessment concludes with a summary of major
issues and opportunities facing the City and others interested in improving
the prospects for improving the public's access to recreational facilities
and services. Section II, the Action Plan, presents a plan consisting
goals, objectives, policies, and strategies for improving the park system
at reasonable cost in a reasonably short period of time.
1.2
CHAPTER 2
CONTEXT
In order to plan effectively for recreation, the specific character-
istics, problems and needs of local park and recreation systems must
be viewed in the broad context of the social , economic, environmental
and political forces which influence the public's demand for recreational
facilities and services and the City's ability to meet these demands.
If all communities exhibited the same socio/economic characteristics
and were subject to identical political , fiscal and environmental con-
straints, the process of planning for the revitalization of municipal
recreation systems could be standardized and a single set of goals,
strategies and implementation techniques could be applied to all cities,
regardless of their size, geographic location, economic base or demo-
graphic character. In reality, however, American cities, counties
and regions differ widely with respect to their resources, problems
and characteristics. For this reason, each city's recreational prob-
lems, needs and capability for improvement are shaped by a unique matrix
of variables. It follows, then, that a unique body of goals, strategies
and implementation measures must be formulated to meet the unique needs
of each city. The purpose of this chapter is to describe the unique
local factors which have shaped Peaumont's recreational service delivery
system and which will establish the context for the City's future re-
creation system improvement effort.
2. 1
INTRODUCTION TO BEAUMONT
Geographic Location
Beaumont is located in the southeastern corner of Texas, 28
miles from the Louisiana border, 25 miles north of the Gulf of r1exico
and 80 miles east of Houston. Beaumont is the largest city in the
Southeast Texas Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SIIISA) , which
consists of Jefferson, Orange and Hardin Counties. Other major
population centers in the SMSA are Port Arthur and Orange. Figure
2. 1 illustrates Beaumont's geographic location.
Natural Environment
Beaumont's climate is generally temperate, with an average
January minimum low temperature of 440F and an average July maximum
high temperature of 9I0F. Average annual rainfall is 53.09 inches.
Rainfalls of 5 to 10 inches within a few hours are not uncommon.
There are persistent southeasterly winds from March through November
and strong northerly winds from December through February.
Beaumont is bordered on the east by the Neches River and on the
north by Pine Island Bayou. Both streams are tidally influenced
and subject to salt water intrusion. Mater quality in the Neches
is poor due to numerous industrial effluent outfalls; however, substan-
tial improvements have been made in the quality of the river's water
since the early seventies when the tidal segment of the Neches was
rated as the second worst stream in Texas. Much of the Neches is
flanked by wetlands which are part of an extensive wetland system
2.2
FIGURE 2-1
Beaumont South East Texas
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2.3
extending northward from the Gulf of Mexico.
The Pine Island Bayou corridor and some of its associated wet-
lands are a portion of the Big Thicket, a unique biological cross-
roads characterized by an astounding diversity of plant and animal
species. Selected portions of the Thicket are being acquired by
the Department of Interior for inclusion in the BiQ Thicket National
Preserve.
Population Size and Trends
Beaumont was chartered by the Republic of Texas in 1838. In
1850, the first year for which Census data is available , the city's
population was 151 persons. By the turn of the century, due largely
to a thriving timber industry, Beaumont had over 9,000 residents.
The Spindletop oil boom of 1901 brought Beaumont (and the
United States) into a new age of industrialization. The city's
population had grown to over 20,000 by 1910. With Spindletop, a period
of sustained growth had begun which lasted into the 1960s. Except for
a lag during the Great Depression, Beaumont continued to grow more
rapidly than both Texas and the United States . By 1960, the city
had 119,175 inhabitants , more than double the 1940 population.
Given Beaumont' s history of growth, it came as a shock to many
in the community when the final 1970 Census count showed a population
loss of some 1,600 persons. Several factors were responsible for this
decline. During the sixties, the rapid post-war expansion of petro-
chemical and refinery employment "leveled off" in the Southeast Texas
area, due in part to an increased reliance upon automation of refining
2.4
and chemical manufacturing processes. Expansion of employment in
other sectors of the economy was not substantial enough to offset
the slow-down in refinery and chemical plant job growth, and, as a
result, a large portion of the young working-age population moved
to Houston and other cities in search of employment opportunities.
A second major cause of the loss of population during the 1960's
was a shift in population to suburbs. Beaumont, Port Arthur and
Orange all experienced population losses during the 1960s, while
suburban communities such as Lumberton, Vidor and Nederland continued
to grow.
A third reason for Beaumont's population lag is closely related
to the above mentioned suburbanization trend. Some of the population
increases shown in past Censuses were partial results of annexations.
Between the 1960 and 1970 Census counts no annexations occurred.
Annexations of populated areas within the city' s extraterritorial
jurisdiction, which includes portions of Jefferson , Hardin and Orange
Counties, could have offset the loss of 1,627 residents reflected
in the 1970 Census.
The growth lag experienced by Beaumont in the 1960s has apparently
been reversed. The 1980 Census indicates that Beaumont' s population
increased from 117,548 in 1970 to 118,102 in 1980. Examination of
Census Bureau estimates prepared for the Federal Revenue Sharing
Program indicate that, after the 1970 Census, Beaumont's population
declined to 113,367 in 1973. Therefore, although the 1980 figure
represents an increase of only 0.50% over the ten years between 1970
and 1980, the annual rate of increase from 1973 to 1980 was 0.63%.
Continued population qrowth will be dependent upon future economic
expansion-.
2.5
Table 2-1 shows Beaumont's population figures from 1850
to 1980. During the past few years , three alternate population
projections have been used for planning purposes. These are referred
to as "high" , "mid-range" and "low" projections and are tied to
various alternate scenarios for future economic growth. The high,
mid-range and low projections for the year 2000 are 164,000, 150,240
and 135,900 persons , respectively. After full analysis of 1980 Census
figures, it is possible that these projections will be revised downward.
Socio-Economic Characteristics of the Population
While the total size of the population is an essential considera-
tion in the planning process , it is also necessary to consider the demo-
graphic and economic characteristics of the population being planned
for. Income, education, age-group structure, ethnic/racial composition;
and household composition trends were among the Socio-economic character-
istics examined during formulation of the Recovery Action Program.
Family Income
According to the 1970 Census, the median income for Beaumont
families in 1969 was $8,925, slightly lower than the median income
for the Beaumont/Port Arthur/Orange SMSA, which was 59,136. Median
family income for the State of Texas was reported as $8,514. By 1979,
the median family income for Beaumont had .risen to *2,0,906.
Per Capita Income
In 1969, Beaumont's per capita income ,ras reported by the Census
Bureau to be 52,887. The Census Bureau estimates that this figure
had risen to $6,295 by 1977.
2.6
TABLE 2-1
POPULATION TRENDS
YEAR POPULATION
1850 151
1890 3,296
1900 9,427
1910 20,640
1920 40,422
1930 57,732
1940 59,061
1950 94,014
1960 119,175
1970 117,548
1980 118,102
SOURCE: U.S. Census of Population
2.7
Income Below Poverty Level
The 1980 Census reported that 3,758 families in Beaumont had
incomes below poverty level . This represented 12.07 percent of all
families.
Education
According to the 1970 Census, 47.7°0 of all Beaumont residents
25 years of age or older had completed four years of college, while
20. 1°0 had completed fewer than eight years of schooling.
Ethnic/Racial Groups
In 198O,36I63y of all Beaumont residents counted by the Census
were Black, while ;3.450%were persons of Spanish surname. Figure 2_2 shows
distribution of blacks by census tract.
There are several ethnic groups in Beaumont and Southeast Texas
which have made substantial contributions to the unique cultural
character of the area, including Italians, Greeks, and French
Acadians ("cajuns") .
One new factor in the ethnic composition of Beaumont is the
resettlement of South Vietnamese in the city. Several hundred Vietnamese
have moved to Beaumont in recent years, and several hundred more live
in nearby Port Arthur, further enhancing the rich diversity of cultural
heritages in the Beaumont area.
Household Size
For at least the past 20 years , household sizes in Beaumont,
as well as the nation , have been decreasing. Declining birth rates
and increasing numbers of one-person households , elderly households ,
multi-family housing units and one-parent families are among the
2.8
FIGURE 2-2
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
F BLACK POPULATION
1980
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STATE 103
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CORPORATE
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DELAWARE
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CALDER 12
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BLACK POPULATION BY CENSUS TRACT
76-100%
CORPORATE
LIMITS
E3 51-75%
EM 26-50%
U 0-25%
CITY AVERAGE: 36.63%
2.9
causes of this household size decline.
Beaumont' s average household size was 3.29 persons in 1960
accordina to the United States Census; in 1970 this figure dropped
to 3.07 persons, and in 1977 Beaumont' s average household size was
estimated to be 2.75 persons. Current Census figures indicate
that the 1980 average household size is 2.66 persons.
Age Group Composition
Changes in the relative size of each age group of the population
are significant because different age groups are characterized by
different recreational needs. Examination of 1960 and 1970 Census
figures indicates that the largest percentage increases in age groups
were in the 15 to 24, 55 to 64, and 65 and over age groups (31%,
130/10 and 31 0110 respectively) . The largest declines were experienced
in the under 5, 25 to 34, and 35 to 44 age groups (33 0o, 19% and 17;
" respectively) .
These figures illustrate two significant trends that were occurring
in Beaumont during the sixties: an "aging" of the population, which
was simultaneously occurring throughout the nation, and an out-
migration of working-age people, which was tied to local economic
conditions.
Population Distribution
Figure 2-3 graphically illustrates Beaumont's 1980 population
distribution. Population densities are highest in the older, lower income
areas of east Beaumont.
2. 10
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Economic Conditions
Recent Employment Trends
Employment levels in Beaumont and the SP1SA have been increasing
since 1970. In 1970 the Census reported 45,052 Beaumont residents
were employed.
Employment for 1976 averaged 50,746 persons; in 1977 employment
averaged 52,468. This represents an average annual rate of increase
of 2.2 percent since 1980 -- much higher than the annual average
population growth rate. This relationship bet;veen job growth and
population growth indicates that a larger proportion of the population
is entering the labor force than in previous years. SMSA employment
has exhibited a similar increase.
Unemployment
The percentage of Beaumonters. unemployed has risen sharply since
1970. At the time of the Census, 4.2 percent of Beaumont' s labor
force was unemployed. Unemployment averaged 7.8 percent in 1976 and
7.3 percent in 1977. This is considerably higher than the 1977 state-
wide average unemployment rate of 5.3 percent, but is relatively
close to the 1977 national average of 7.0 percent. In 1982, unemployment
increased sharply due to declining demand for petroleum and related products.
In early 1983, Bdaumont's unemployment rate had reached 12.6%.
The Need for Economic Diversification
With such a large segment of Beaumont' s employment being
2. 12
directly or indirectly related to the petrochemical, petroleum
refining, and shipbuilding industries, there is an ever-present
possibility of our economy being adversely affected by fluctuations
in these industries. Many theorists fear that the refining and
petrochemical industries may enter a permanent decline after the
year 2000 because of shortages of raw materials. Currently, these
industries are seriously depressed. This has resulted in declines
in other sectors of the economy, such as retailing, housing and services.
Housing Types
A housing survey conducted by the Beaumont Planning Department
in 1978 found that 79°0 of the City's housing stock was accounted
for by single-family detached units, while 21% of the total number
of units were attached two-family or multi-family units.
Form of Government
Beaumont operates under a manager/council form of government.
Although the Council members each represent a separate district, they
are elected at-large, as is the Mayor. The Council and Mayor are
"non-partisan in that they are not officially tied to any political
party.
Position of Parks and Recreation
Department in City Government
The Parks and Recreation Department has full status as a separate
City department. The Parks and Recreation Director reports to the
City Manager and is also provided with assistance in policy formulation
by a nine-member citizen's advisory committee.
2. 13
How Planning for Park and Recreation
Services is Achieved
While most physical planning for the park system is done by
the Planning Department, planning for parks and recreation services
is done by the Director of Parks and Recreation and his administra-
tive staff. The City's Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee
provides guidance to the Parks and Recreation staff in planning
for recreation services. The Parks staff monitors use of facili-
ties and services on a continuous basis and provides a written
annual report on usership. Demand for services is ascertained in
three ways: (1) analysis of trends in usership; (2) direct
requests from the public for services (these requests are sometimes
conveyed to the department through Parks Committee and City Council
members) ; (3) analysis of population characteristics of neighborhoods
to determine service needs. The Planning Department assists with
demographic data. When the need for additional services results
in the need for additional physical facilities, the Planninq Depart-
ment often becomes involved in project planning and financing.
The Parks Department also participates in occasional needs
assessments and facility inventories prepared by the Texas Parks
and Wildlife Department. Data derived in these studies can be
used to determine the relationship of the supply and demand of
recreational opportunities.
2.14
Relationship of Recreation
Planning with Comprehensive Planning
Beaumont' s last comprehensive plan was produced in 1960. While
the plan was never officially adopted, it has influenced land use and
1
transportation policies to a significant extent. A new comprehensive
plan is now in preparation.
In order to insure that the plan remains relevant to park and
recreation issues, the plan will be reviewed on an annual basis and,
if necessary, revised to reflect changing conditions.
The Planning Department is responsible for coordinating the
comprehensive park planning process and producing reports documenting
the planning and policy formulation processes. A considerable
amount of technical assistance is provided by the Parks and Recreation
Department. The Planning Department seeks input on issues, goals,
objectives, policies and proposals from the City Council , Planning
Commission, Parks and Recreation Committee, Community Development
Block Grant Citizen Advisory Committee and the Goals for Beaumont
citizen's planning group. These groups also provide forums for
citizen participation activities.
OVERVIE14 OF THE PARK AND RECREATION SYSTEM
This section provides summary information concerning Beaumont' s
park and recreation system. Major topics of discussion include (1) the
numbers and types of persons served, (2) a brief review of services
provided, (3) an assessment of the system' s accessibility in relation
2.15
to its intended users, and (4) recent and proposed changes in the
system. j
i
Numbers and Types of Persons Served
The City park system is the primary provider of recreational
facilities and programs for the 120,000 residents of Beaumont and
t
for many residents of surrounding smaller communities and unincorporated
d
areas. In 1981 attendance at City parks or recreational facilities
was estimated at 2,092,177.
F
i
The types of persons served by the system varies according to 8
i
geographic location. As shown by Figure:.2.2 earlier in this
i
chapter, low-income and minority populations are concentrated in
the older, eastern section of the city. This portion of the city
f
also has a high proportion of elderly citizens. In parks in the more g
4
recently developed western and northwestern portions of the city,
the user population is generally more affluent. There are smaller
concentrations of minorities and relatively lower proportions of
elderly users.
kt
F
There are a few basic exceptions to the relationship of user j
i
characteristics to the geographic locations of parks, however. Several
major facilities, including Tyrrell Park, the Municipal Athletic Center,
f
and Babe Didrikson Zaharias Park and the Best Years Center, have city-
wide service areas. The user populations of these facilities are
determined more by the specialized services and facilities offered
s
rather than by geographic location. The Best Years Center, as an
r
itt
11
f
2.16
example, serves an elderly user population because of the specialized
facilities and programs offered there for elderly people. The
Zaharias Park is located in a low income area, but, since it is
in the location of several soccer fields used for league play,
serves school children from many affluent neighborhoods.
Review of Services Provided
Tables 2. 2 and 2. 3 provide brief summaries of the major facilities
and services provided by the City park and recreation system. Recre-
ational opportunities provided through the City park system can be
divided into two broad categories: structured and unstructured
recreational services. Structured services include the City's
organized recreational programs such as slimnastics , crafts , and
sports leagues. Unstructured services consist of the unsupervised
use of City parks and recreational facilities such as playgrounds,
picnic tables and sports fields by individuals, families and groups.
Accessibility of the System
To evaluate the issue of accessibility to services and facilities,
an understanding of the heirarchial arrangement of the City's park
system is necessary. The City's park system is divided into five
different classifications of park sites, each with its own standards
for size, facilities , design, service area and function. Regional
parks serve the entire city; community parks serve clusters of three
to seven neighborhoods; neighborhood parks serve residential areas
approximately one square mile in area, and mini-parks serve approxi-
2.17
TABLE 2-2
RECREATION FACILITIES
3 ART MUSEUMS 69 PARK BENCHES
1 BADMINTON & VOLLEYBALL COURTS 183 PICNIC UNITS
71 BARBECUE UNITS 2 PICNIC UNITS FOR THE HANDICAPPED
3 BASEBALL DIAMONDS 1 PLATFORM TRAILER
27 BASKETBALL GOALS 33 RESTROOMS
2 BASKETBALL GOALS FOR THE 1 SENIOR CITIZEN CENTER
HANDICAPPED 9 SHELTERS
56 BLEACHERS - 5 TIER 1 SNOWMOBILE
7 COMMUNITY CENTERS 5 SIDEWALKS FOR THE HANDICAPPED
3 CONCESSION STANDS WITH SCORE- 9 SOCCER FIELDS
BOXES 17 SOFTBALL BACKSTOPS
1 CREATIVE PLAY AREA 9 SOFTBALL FIELDS (LIGHTED)
55 DRINKING FOUNTAINS 2 SWIMMING POOLS
3 FISH PONDS 1 TENNIS CENTER
2 FOOTBALL FIELDS 34 TENNIS COURTS (22 LIGHTED)
1 GARDEN CENTER 3 TENNIS REBOUND BOARDS
1 GAZEBO SHELTER 8 TOOL SHEDS
1 GOLF COURSE (18 HOLES) 2 TRAILER PARK AREAS (174 HOOKUPS)
12 HARD SURFACED AREAS 235 UNITS OF PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT
8 HARD SURFACED AREAS (MULTI- 16 WADING POOLS
PURPOSE, COVERED, LIGHTED)
2 PADDLEBALL COURTS
IN ADDITION TO THE 966.27 ACRES, THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT
MAINTAINS A NUMBER OF TRIANGLES, ALL ESPLANADES, THE PARK-ORLEANS
STREET UNDERPASS, COLLEGE STREET UNDERPASS, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
PISTOL RANGE, ALL BOULEVARDS,THE POLICE STATION, LIBRARY AND CITY
HALL.
2.18
TABLE 2.3 ( Ist of 6 pages)
RECREATION PROGRAMS
1981
SOFTBALL
May 4th kicked off the 1981 summer softball program, one hundred ninety-four (194) ,
registered in sixteen (16) divisions. A new division was added (Co-Ed) with success.
1,358 games were scheduled.
Winter softball registered one hundred fifteen (115) teams, playing a 690 game
schedule.
SUMMER SOFTBALL TEA11S WINTER SOFTBALL TEAMS
SLOW PITCH CHURCH 36 SLOW PITCH CHURCH 16
SLOW PITCH OPEN 112 SLOW PITCH OPEN 78
SLOW PITCH WOMEN 35 SLOW PITCH WOMEN 21
SLOW PITCH CO-ED 6 TOTAL 115
FAST PITCH MEN 5
TOTAL 194
GAMES PLAYED - 1,350 GAMES PLAYED - 690
PARTICIPATION — 36,450 PARTICIPATION - 20,010
SPECTATORS - 67,500 SPECTATORS - 17,250
SPECIAL EVENTS
PARTICIPATION SPECTATORS
WEEKEND TOURNAMENTS - 38,430 96,075
OPEN PLAY AND PRACTICE - 18,875
TOTAL PARTICIPATION = 113,765 TOTAL SPECTATORS = 180,825
SOFTBALL GRAND TOTAL = 294,590
BASKETBALL
The 1980-81 Basketball Leagues opened on December 1, 1980, with
40 teams in 5 divisions. 231 games were played; 5,775 participants,
and 9,240 spectators.
Region I T.A.A.F. Church Tournament was held with 9 teams participating,
8 games were played - participants - 200 and spectators, 320.
PARTICIPATION AND SPECTATORS = 15,535
2.19 (Continued)
VOLLEYBALL
21 teams in 3 divisions competed in Volleyball leagues - 265 games were
played in 106 matches, participation and spectators totaled 5,300.
All games were played in First Baptist, South Park Baptist and Westgate
Baptist gyms. Their cooperation is certainly appreciated.
TOTAL PARTICIPATION & SPECTATORS = 5,300
JR. CARDINAL FOOTBALL
Parks and Recreation Department cooperated with Jr. Cardinal Football program.
Football field was constructed at the Athletic Complex for this fine program.
8 teams participated in this well supervised activity for boys ages 9 through
12. 31 games were played - 1,550 participants and 2,325 spectators.
TOTAL PARTICIPATION & SPECTATORS = 3,875
CHILDREN'S THEATER
The summer Children's Theater production of "A Thing of Beauty" was presented
at three locations, Sprott Park, Alice Keith Parks, and Rogers Park.
Registration and tryouts were held the first week in June. Rehearsals and
presentations were on the Showmobile.
Set design, costumes and direction were held under Dr. Pat Harrigan's
supervision.
TOTAL PARTICIPATION & SPECTATORS = 407
TRACK AND FIELD
Track and Field instruction and supervision were under Thomas Harris, French
High track coach. Competitive meets were held at Lamar University track,
Region I T.A.A.F. in Pasadena and State Meet in E1 Paso. 2,856
TOTAL PARTICIPATION
SHOWYIOBILE
The Showriobile was used 163 times during 1981 - 3 cities and 20 organizations
are regular users of this equipment. Parks and Recreation Summer Theater
utilizes the Showmobile for their summer theater productions, both for practice
and productions. Other Regular users are: Beaumont Symphony, Jazz Society,
iMBL, Lamar University, Beaumont Heritage Association, French sigh School,
Best Years Center, French Museum and Beaumont Art Center.
2.20
(Continued)
TENNIS PROGRAM
TENNIS LESSONS FOR BEGINNERS AND INTERMEDIATES, CHILDREN AND ADULTS WERE
CONDUCTED IN TWO (2) FIVE WEEK SESSIONS.
FOUR TOURNAMENTS FOR JUNIORS, AND SENIORS WERE CONDUCTED WITH EXCELLENT
PARTICIPATION PLAY AND PLEASED SPECTATORS.
INSTRUCTION PARTICIPATION & SPECTATORS 2,166
TOURNAMENT PARTICIPATION & SPECTATORS 2,385*
4,551
MUNICIPAL TENNIS CENTER
THE MUNICIPAL TENNIS CENTER WITH EIGHT (8) LIGHTED COURTS, OPEN ON A TWELVE
(12) MONTH BASIS FOR FREE AND RESERVATION PLAY. IT ALSO SERVED AS HEADQUARTERS
FOR SUMMER PROGRAM AND TENNIS TOURNAMENTS. FACILITIES ALSO INCLUDE TWO (2) MINI
COURTS (UNLIGHTED) , REBOUND WALL, TWO (2) STROKING ALLEYS, PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTION
AS WELL AS A PRO SHOP.
THE MUNICIPAL TENNIS CENTER SERVED AS THE LOCALE FOR PRACTICALLY ALL HIGH SCHOOL
5A AND 4A, AND MIDDLE SCHOOL PLAY. THIS FACILITY HAS BECOME SITE OF A TENNIS
ACADEMY DEDICATED TO DEVELOPING PLAYERS TO RECREATION AND EXCELLENCE. IN
ADDITION TO THE CITY PROGRAM TOURNAMENTS, VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS AND PRIVATE
COMPANIES CONDUCTED TOURNAMENTS.
BEAUMONT NOW HOSTS FOUR (4) USTA SACTIONED TOURNAMENTS, INCLUDING JUNIORS AND
ONE MEN'S PRO TOURNEY.
ATTENDANCE 71,138
SWIMMING
TWO MUNICIPAL SWIMMING POOLS OPERATED FROM MAY 30 THROUGH AUGUST 30, 1981.
ALICE KEITH POOL 11,609
MAGNOLIA POOL 6,467
FREE SWIM 2,500
16 WADING POOLS
ESTIMATED ATTENDANCE 285,000
YMCA PROGRAM 1,740
(MAGNOLIA POOL)
TOTAL 307,316
*DENOTES TOTAL WAS USED ELSEWHERE.
BEAUMONT ART MUSEUM
TOTAL ATTENDANCE 64,320
2.21
(Continued)
BEST YEARS CENTER
THE BEAUMONT BEST YEARS CENTER IS A COMMUNITY MEETING AND ACTIVITIES CENTER FOR
PERSONS FIFTY YEARS AND OLDER. THE BEST YEARS CENTER IS AN ACTIVE SITE HOSTING
A VARIETY OF CLASSES MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT EACH
MONTH. IT ALSO SERVES AS A MEETING SITE FOR MANY SENIOR CITIZENS CLUBS AND
ORGANIZATIONS.
THE GOAL OF THE CENTER IS TO PROVIDE BOTH EDUCATIONAL AND RECREATIONAL EVENTS
AND TO SERVE AS A FOCAL POINT FOR SENIOR CITIZENS NEEDS, INTERESTS, INFORMATION
AND REFERRAL.
ATTENDANCE 28,285*
COMMUNITY CENTER BUILDINGS
THE COMMUNITY CENTER BUILDINGS ARE OPERATED ON A RESERVATION BASIS. THEY ARE
USED FOR MANY ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, INCLUDING A VARIETY OF PARKS AND
RECREATION SPONSORED COMMUNITY CENTER PROGRAMS. THERE ARE ALSO SEVERAL SENIOR
CITIZENS CLUBS USING THE CENTERS FOR MEETINGS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
BEST YEARS CENTER 28,285
CARROLL STREET PARK 55 RES. 3,184
CENTRAL PARK (10 month operation) 231 RES. 6,393
ALICE KEITH PARK 468 RES. 11,971
J. P. RICHARDSON 372 RES. 10,182
TYRRELL PARK 208 RES. 12,651
ROGERS PARK 840 RES. 10,251
SPROTT PARK 144 RES. 3,138
TOTAL 2,318 RES. 86,055
SPECIAL ACTIVITIES PROGRAM
TWELVE MONTH OPERATION
MR. LUKE JACKSON IS CONDUCTING A SPECIAL ACTIVITY PROGRAM ON A TWELVE MONTH BASIS.
THIS PROGRAM IS IN OPERATION IN THREE LOCATIONS, SPROTT PARK, LINCOLN SCHOOL, AND
CARROLL STREET PARK, TO PROVIDE A WIDE RANGE OF ACTIVITIES FROM BASKETBALL FUNDA-
MENTALS TO QUIET GAMES. MANY NEW ACTIVITIES ARE ADDED AS INTERESTS CHANGE.
SPROTT 10,078*
LINCOLN & CARROLL 6,620
TOTAL 16,698
* DENOTES TOTAL WAS USED ELSEWHERE.
2.22
(Continued)
ORGANIZED PLAYGROUND ACTIVITIES
PROGRAMS WERE CONDUCTED AT ELEVEN (11) LOCATIONS DURING THE SUMMER. HALF DAY
SESSIONS WERE PROGRAMMED AT TWO (2) PARKS. SCHOOL-PARK PROGRAMS PROVIDE A MORE
UNIFORM COVERAGE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
ACTIVITIES INCLUDED ACTIVE AND PASSIVE GAMES, ARTS AND CRAFTS, DRAMATICS, TRACK
MEETS, HULA HOOP AND FRISBEE CONTESTS.
CALDWOOD PARK (Afternoon only) 1,205
CARROLL STREET PARK 2,739
COMBEST PARK 1,195
COTTONWOOD PARK 5,778
LIBERIA PARK 2,837
LINCOLN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL (12 month) 6,620
MAGNOLIA PARK) 5,637 (combined total
PINE STREET PARK) Magnolia & Pine)
ROBERTS PARK 2,160
ROGERS PARK (Mornings only) 1,539
SPROTT PARK 6,691
TOTAL ATTENDANCE 36,401
COMMUNITY CENTER PROGRAMS
THE COMMUNITY CENTER PROGRAMS CONSISTED OF FIFTY (50) WEEKS OF SLIMNASTICS AT
ALICE KEITH, ROGERS, AND J P RICHARDSON CENTERS. THIRTY-FIVE (35) WEEKS OF
BALLET, DANCERCIZE, JAZZERCISE AND AEROBICS WERE HELD AT CENTRAL AND ROGERS
CENTERS.
EIGHTY-NINE (89) CLASSES REGISTERING 1,494 PEOPLE
IN ADDITION, THERE WERE TWO (2) SIX-WEEK SUMMER SESSIONS OF TUMBLING, JAZZ,
TWIRLING, MACRAME' AND CRAFTS. DANCE AND TUMBLING RECITALS WERE HELD AT THE
END OF EACH SESSION.
INSTRUCTORS
MARGARET AMES SLIMNASTICS
TERRY BROCATO SLIMNASTICS
TARA COCO ART
CLAUDIA DEBORAH SLIMNASTICS
ESTELLE ETIE SLIMNASTICS
LAURIE FULLER AEROBICS, TWIRLING
MARIANNE KONDO SLIMNASTICS, CRAFTS, MACRAME'
RHONDA KONDO SLIMNASTICS
LETTIE MUHLBAUER SLIMNASTICS
DEBBIE RICHMOND SLIMNASTICS
JENNIFER SOOY SLIMNASTICS
PAT SIMMONS BALLET, TUMBLING, DANCERCIZE,
ADULT BALLET, JAZZ
TOTAL ATTENDANCE 11,695*
* DENOTES TOTAL WAS USED ELSEWHEXE.
2.23 (Continued)
TYRRELL PARK
THIS PARK HAS MANY FUNCTIONS. FAMILIES USE THIS AREA FOR PICNIC AND FAMILY
REUNIONS. TYRRELL PARK HAS FIVE (5) OPEN AIR BUILDINGS AND A LARGE RECREATION
BUILDING. THESE FACILITIES HAVE PROVEN TO BE VERY SUITABLE FOR FAMILY TYPE
ACTIVITIES. OTHER ATTRACTIONS TO TYRRELL PARK INCLUDE THE GARDEN CENTER AREA,
AND EIGHTEEN (18) HOLE GOLF COURSE, AND TWO (2) TRAILER PARKS WHICH CAN ACCOMODATE
NINETY-FOUR (94) TRAILERS AT ONE TIME.
GOLF COURSE 55,000
BUILDINGS & STRUCTURES 13,122
NON RESERVATION ATTENDANCE 240,000
TRAILER PARK 1,834 RES. 5,502
GARDEN CENTER 8,000
TOTAL 321,624
FAIR PARK
A NEW LIVESTOCK BARN WAS CONSTRUCTED THIS YEAR AND THE SWINE BARN WAS DOUBLED IN
SIZE.
SOME OF THE FACILITIES AND ACTIVITIES ARE LISTED BELOW:
ACTIVITY FACILITIES
BOY SCOUT FUNCTIONS ART MUSEUM
CITY AUCTION LIONS CLUB ART SHOW CONCESSION STANDS
DOG SHOWS EXHIBIT BUILDINGS
DUCKS UNLIMITED LITTLE THEATRE
GROUP PICNIC LIVESTOCK BARNS
HORSE SHOW OPEN AREA
NECHES RIVER FESTIVAL FLEA MARKET
PET SHOWS
YMBL RODEO
YMBL SOUTH TEXAS STATE FAIR
COLISEUM THESE FACILITIES ARE OPERATED BY
HARVEST CLUB COMMUNITY FACILITIES DEPARTMENT AND
Y.M.B.L. HALL ATTENDANCE IS NOT SHOWN IN THIS REPORT.
ESTIMATED ATTENDANCE 825,000
BABE DIDRIKSON ZAHARIAS PARK
(Designated in 1980)
THIS PROPERTY AT PRESENT IS PRIMARILY USED FOR FREE PLAY. SOFTBALL TEAMS, SOCCER
LEAGUES AND GOLFERS ARE ITS PRIMARY PARTICIPANTS.
SPINDLETOP YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION 43,280
FREE PLAY 4,200
ESTIMATED ATTENDANCE 47,480
GRAND TOTAL ATTENDANCE 2,092,177
2.24
mately one-fourth of a neighborhood. The final category, special
parks , generally consists of "one-of-a-kind" , special purpose
facilities. The City's inventory of special parks includes a
fairgrounds (Fair Park) , an art museum and grounds (Wilson Art
Museum) , an as yet undeveloped Riverfront Park, the 124 - acre
Municipal Athletic Complex and the recently dedicated Babe
Dedrikson Zaharias Park, which will be developed as a special
purpose athletic center. Regional parks and special parks
have city-wide or larger service areas , therefore must be reached
by private automobiles or transit by most users. Community parks
are also reached by motor vehicle by many users, although good
pedestrian and bicycle access are also important for these
facilities. Beaumont's regional, special and community parks
are generally well situated for user access , with two notable
exceptions. The first of these, the Wilson Art Museum and grounds ,
is located on the interior of a neighborhood. This facility is
c.lassi'fied as a special park and, having a city-wide service
area, should be located on an arterial street or freeway for
maximum vehicular accessibility. A large arts and crafts festival
is held each year at the Wilson Center and each year there are
conflicts resulting from a massive influx of families and
automobiles into an area with streets and parking designed to
accommodate small volumes of neighborhood - oriented traffic.
A: second accessibility problem involves Spindletop Park, a
community park on the southeastern edge of the City, a community
park should serve several adjacent neighborhoods in a 12 to 2
2.25
mile radius. Obviously, for maximum efficiency of access , the
park should be located near the center of its intended service
area. Spindletop Parks "Service area consists mostly of wetlands
and industrial facilities , with only a handful of dwelling units .
within 12 miles. As a result, this Park is severely under-used
and is considered a nuisance and a security problem by the few
nearby residents.
Accessibility to neighborhood parks is deficient in many areas
of the city. Ideally, each neighborhood should be served by
its own neighborhood park, which should be located within
mile of most of the neighborhood residents. Since access to
neighborhood parks should be primarily pedestrian and bicycle
oriented, neighborhood park users should be able to travel from
their homes to the park without encountering major travel barriers
such as arterial streets or uncrossable drainage ways. As shown
in a later chapter, many residential neighborhoods in all parts
S
of Beaumont do not have adequate, safe access to a neighborhood
park.
Thus far,accessibility to parks and recreational facilities
has been discussed in terms of the general population. Any,
discussion of access to recreational facilities and services
should include consideration of the needs of special populations
with special needs. It is widely assumed that the automobile has
given all urban Americans unlimited mobility. If this assumption
were completely valid, less emphasis would be placed upon the
2 .26
importance of planning for the location and distribution of parks
within the urban area, however, just as some Americans are
disadvantaged in terms of income; there are others who are
` disadvantaged in terms of transporation. Most of the transportation
disadvantaged belong to one or more of the following groups: the
poor, the handicapped, the elderly, and the very young. In
addition to these four major groups, many housewives in one-car
families can also be classified as transportation disadvantaged.
The provision of easily accessible neighborhood and sub-
neighborhood parks should be a primary concern in planning for
the recreational needs of the transportation disadvantaged groups.
Additionally, community parks, large parks , and special use facilities
should be convenient to public transit routes in order to increase
their accessibility to the transportation disadvantaged.
The handicapped population of Beaumont is subject to another
.serious accessibility problem, which involves the relative lack
.of. public recreational facilities designed to meet their needs.
Until 1980, when special equipment was provided in Rogers Park
in West Beaumont, there was no specially designed or adopted
recreational equipment for use by handicapped children. The
City Council has adopted a policy calling for provision of
active recreational facilities for the handicapped and the 1981
construction season will include installation of special equipment
at several sites.
2.27
RECENT AND PROPOSED CHANGES IN THE SYSTEM
The past three years have seen several significant changes -in
Beaumont's park system. Many of these changes have been direct
results of an intensified interest in park, system improvement
and expansion shared by the City Council , the City Staff, and the
citizens of Beaumont. The following is a brief summary of
significant recent and proposed changes:
A Park and Open Space Element of the City's comprehensive
plan was adopted by the City Council in 1980. The plan
includes goals , objectives, policies and proposals for
the future development and rehabilitation of Beaumont's
Park and Open Space System. An annual review and re-
adoption requirement is included i n the plan as a means
of keeping the plan current and providing for montitorring
progress in achieving the adopted goals.
Community Development Block Grant funds were committed to
park renovation projects in 1980. This marks the first
significant use of CD funds for this purpose in Beaumont.
a Continued utilization of CD funds for renovation of Parks
in low and moderate income areas is an important part of
Beaumonts plan for park system recovery.
As mentioned previously, a program to provide special
facilities .for the handicapped was initiated during
- 1980. One advocate for the handicapped raised private
funds to finance construction of a special sidewalk
for handicapped access to the new recreation equipment
in Rogers Park.
In response to a City Council decision not to require
mandatory dedication of parkland in new subdivisions ,
o members of the City's Park and Recreation Committee
have instituted an informal program of "lobbying" with
developers and land owners for voluntary land donations.
In approving the sale of a city-owned portion of an old
® school site, the City Council stipulated that proceeds from
the land sale should be ear-marked for recreational purposes.
As part of the Planning Department' s neighborhood planning
program, a survey was compiled in 1980 asking for citizen' s
® views on the adequacy or inadequacy of city services ,
including parks and recreation, at the neighborhood level .
The survey has already been administered in one neighborhood.
2.28
Three new land parcels were added to the City's park system
in 1980. A mini-park site was aquired in the Fletcher
Neighborhood Strategy Area, a 28-acre community park site
in the developing northwestern area of the city was purchased,
and the 26 acre Multimax site near the geographic center
of the city was officially, designated as a city park. The
® Multimax property was renamed Babe D4drikson Zaharias Park
and is used by local soccer leagues as a practice and
tournament field. Seven soccer fields were constructed on
the site by one of the soccer organizations using private
funds and volunteer labor, and offical dedication of the
site as a park was requested by soccer league members and
their parents as a means of assuring that the city did not
convert the site to non-recreational use.
One of the City's three swimming pools was closed permanently
at the end of the 1980 season due to structural deterioration.
This represents a significant recreational loss to the
• surrounding neighborhoods and coupled with the impending two
pools in the near future, presents the City with a difficult
financial challenge.
® As a cost-cutting measure, restrooms will no longer be
provided in new neighborhood parks.
DESCRIPTION OF CURRENT CITY FUNCTIONS ASSOCIATED
WITH PARKS AND RECREATION
This section discusses inter-agency coordination of the
planning, financing, operation and maintenance functions of
the City Parks and Recreation program. Emphasis is placed
upon existing instances of coordination and possible areas
where efficiency could be increased by additional coordination.
Pla.nnina
The recreation planning function is , for the most part,
divided between the planning and Parks and Recreation Departments.
The Planning Department is responsible for comprehensive park
system planning and applications for Federal and State financial
2.29
aid.
To improve the coordination of site planning, .a planner/land-
scape architect was hired in 1981 to produce "in-house" site and
construction plans and to work with outside consultants when design
projects are contracted out. The Planning Department prepares con-
ceptual site plans, master site development plans, construction
drawings, contract documents and special design studies as needed.
Some large projects, such as Riverfront Park, or projects involving
large buildings., are contracted out.
In some instances, such as the design of Riverfront Park, a
third City Department, the City Manager' s office, has become involved
in site planning. A project coordinator in the Manager's office was
responsible for administering the Riverfront Park design services
contract and also is often involved in on-site supervision and con-
truction contract administration.
Financing
Financing decisions are made through the City's five year
capital improvements planning process. Most financing decisions
are made by the City Manager in consultation with the Parks
Director. The Planning Department becomes involved in the
park financing function when Community Development Block Grant
funds are used for Park projects and when other Federal funding
assistance is involved.
Capital improvements programming has generally been done by
the City Manager' s office.
2.30
Programming
In order to improve the efficiency of the delivery of
recreation services, the parks program should consider coordinating
recreation services programming with the Civic Center/Performing
Arts Theatre complex, the school districts and the Head Start
Program.
0 erations and Maintenance
The Parks. and Recreation Department performs most of the
:City's Parks and Recreation operations and maintenance functions.
Notable exceptions include grounds maintenance of the Wilson
Art Center and operation and maintenance of the Tyrrell Park
Golf Course, which are contracted out. In addition to maintaining
and operating parks, the Parks and Recreation Department maintains
numerous esplanades , boulevards and plaza areas.
One area warranting additional detailed study is the
possibility of contracting out more of the City's maintenance
and operation functions.
Acquisition and Development
Joint acquisition and development of school and park sites
has been proposed in the City's Comprehensive Plan; however, this
technique has yet to be tried due to the declining enrollments
of the local school districts.
2.31
The City is currently coordinating acquisition of a new Art
Museum site with Jefferson County. Art League funds are being
provided to the City to use in purchase of a 20-acre site from
the county government.
The City and Jefferson County Drainage District #6 are
coordinating their respective operations in the development of
Klein Park, which is located on either side of a major drainageway
slated for future improvements.
Other potential areas of intergovernment collaboration in
acquisition and development are development in open space corridors
in drainageways and River Authority canal corridors, further
collaboration with the CDBG neighborhood revitalization program,
and collaboration with the State Department of Highways and Public
Transportation in multi-use development of rights-of-way.
Approaches Used for Citizen Involvement
Citizen involvement has been, and will continue to be, a
major component of the City's ongoing planning process. This
section presents a listing of official mechanisms available for
public participation in Beaumont' s UPARR activities and describes
the formal and informal citizen participation actions which
provided input into the formulation of the Recovery Action Program.
Proposed Citizen Participation Mechanisms for the UPARR Program
UPARR public participation activities will be conducted under
the auspices of existing mechanisms for citizen involvement. The
following are the major existing mechanisms available for public
participation in park improvement planning:
1) Beaumont City Council
2) Planning and Zoning Commission
2.32
3) City Parks and Recreation Committee
4) Community Development Block Grant citizen's advisory
committee and neighborhood associations
5) Goals for Beaumont public planning participation program
6) Neighborhood Planning Program
The City Council and Planning Commission are each involved
in the City's ongoing park planning process. Either body may
hold public hearings to solicit public input for the UPARR
planning effort. Final local approval of City involvement in
the UPARR program will involve public City Council deliberation.
The Parks and Recreation Committee (PRC) is responsible for
advising the City Council , City Manager and Parks and Recreation
director as to park planning and selection and implementation of
goals, policies and priorities. Therefore, PRC workshops and
public hearings should be utilized as a primary citizen involvement
forum for setting priorities and selecting projects.
Any project affecting one of Beaumont's four CDBG target
areas-or which would involve use of CD funds for matching or
supplementary purposes will be referred to the citizen's advisory
committee and the appropriate neighborhood association. A detailed
citizen participation plan has been prepared by the local CD staff
and approved by HUD. The CD citizen participation process has
already been used to review and fund several proposed park
rehabilitation projects.
Input from the Goals for Beaumont recreation and civic design
task forces has already been incorporated into the City's recreation
planning program. It is anticipated that the Goals program will
continue to provide public planning participation opportunities.
2.33
In addition to the formal citizen involvement mechanisms
listed above, informal citizen participation will be encouraged
through publicizing the City's park recovery actions in the media
and through presenting the City's park and open space planning
slide show to civic groups , neighborhood organizations, and any
other groups of interested individuals. These two informal
citizen involvement techniques have thus far proved to be very
effective in eliciting public reaction to park planning proposals.
Public, Input into the R.A.P.
At the time intensive public and official review activities
of the City's Park and Open Space Element of the Comprehensive
Plan were being planned, elected and administrative officials had
already expressed interest in the UPARR program. Therefore, at
public hearings and workshops with officials and citizens groups,
issues relevant to the objectives of the UPARR program were
included in presentations and discussions. This has proved
beneficial from two stand points: first, a considerable amount
of input was received which was useful in the preparation of
interim rehab goals , strategies and priorities for the Preliminary
Action Program. Secondly, by broadening the scope of issues involved
in the Park and Open Space Element•, the overall quality of the plan
was improved considerably and the City provided itself a sub-
stantial "head start" in completion of a full Recovery Action
Program.
2.34
Public participation efforts thus far have involved two public
hearings; nine workshops involving officials , advisory groups,
civic groups and a college class; and several television news
items publicizing the City's ongoing park planning, development
and revitalization program. These activities have continued after
the official adoption of the park plan in June and have set a new
precedent for public participation in local planning activities which
will insure increased levels of responsiveness , relevance, and
equity in the City's planning programs.
The newest and most promising device for public participation
in the recreation Nianning and programming process is the
Planning Department's Neighborhood Planning Program which was
initiated during 1980 with a plan for the Charlton-Pollard
neighborhood a HUD approved Neighborhood Strategy Area in eastern
Beaumont. (The first group of neighborhood plans will be prepared
for low and moderate income neighborhoods which contain
Neighborhood Strategy Areas, although plans will later be prepared
for neighborhoods in all areas of the city) . As a data gathering
tool , neighborhood surveys will be used to provide an inventory
of neighborhood issues, attitudes, and needs. A copy of the' survey
form and responses relavent to recreational issues are shown in
Appendix 1.
After surveying all of the citizen participation techniques
utilized for the recreation recovery planning process over the
past year, it has been determined that the neighborhood planning
2.35
process should become the cornerstone of future neighborhood
oriented recreation recovery planning and implementation activities ,
for the following reasons:
I) The neighborhood planning process is concerned with the
overall physical , social , and economic revitalization of
neighborhoods. This presents an exceilant opportunity
to meet the UPARR programs objective of liking recreation
recovery to other neighborhood improvement actions.
Z) The neighborhood planning survey technique produces a
greater, and possibly more representative, citizen
response than public meetings, workshops , and mass
media coverage. An attempt is made to send survey forms
to all neighborhood residents.
3) Final neighborhood plan recommendations are subject to
citizen review in neighborhood meetings.
4) Since Neighborhood planning is an existing program
utilizing available community development block grant
funds, no added expense is involved in increasing the
level and quality of public input into UPARR activities.
5) The first few neighborhood plans will be done in
Neighborhood Strategy Areas, which are also among the
most likely target neighborhoods for UPARR involvement.
2 .3E
CHAPTER 3
INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS
Before plans for future revitalization of Beaumont's park and
open space system could be formulated, it was first necessary to
gather data regarding the City's existing recreation resources,
compare this data to park planning standards, identify deficiencies,
and project future requirements for land, facilities and services.
This chapter summarizes the findings of the inventory and analysis
phase of the planning process. The chapter is divided into four
sections: physical resources, rehabilitation needs, services,
and park system management.
PHYSICAL RESOURCES
Beaumont's present park system consists of 895 acres of
parkland and includes 37 different sites ranging in size from a
one-half acre mini-park to the 489-acre Tyrrell Park facility. In
addition to parks per se, the City also maintains several special
use facilities, such as the Fair Park Fairgrounds, the Beaumont
Art Center, and the 124-acre multi-use Athletic Complex.
Figure 3-1 shows the locations of the City's existing parks.
Table 3-1 provides a summary of data for each City park, including
size, date of acquisition and facilities. A brief description
of each park, its service area and its recreational facilities follows.
3. 1
FIGURE 3 -I G n
A IRKS
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SEE TABLE 3 -1 FOR
PARK SITE DATA Community Park
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-dlaa Regional Park
Special Park
' TABLE 3-1 SEE FIGURE 3-1
PARKS AND FACILITIES FOR PARK LOCATIONS
Q co
r
4
�r Jti ti y w Rs ` U 44
,vr o a8v
Alice Keith 1931 1 9.0 c X X 11 2 1 1 1 1 2 ,
Athletic Complex 1976 2 124.0 s X 9 8 2 8
j Caldwood 1900 3 2.5 n X X 1
Carroll Street 1947 4 9.0 n X X 2 2 1 2 .
Central 1920 5 13.9 c X X 1 4 1 1 {
Chaison 1943 6 2.1 n X X 1 1 1
Combest 1950 7 2.8 n X X ] 1
Cottonwood 1951 8 2.58 n X X 1 2 ]
Fair Park 1931 9 60.0 s X 10 --
{ Forest 1958 10 215 n X X 1 1 1 1 i
�..
Gilbert 1927 11 2,1 n X X 1 2 1
Guseman 1977 12 2.7 n/ '
�i Haynes 1970 13 5 n X X 11 1
F` Hebert 1886 14 1.0 n 3 1
j Ida Reed 1921 15 2.2 n X X ] 1 1 7
a Jacobs Street 1974 ns 0.5 m X X 1 l
't Keith 1838 17 2.1 s }
Liberia 1927 18 4.2 n X X 1 1 2 1 1 2
McLean 1943 19 4.7 n X X 1 1 -
` nolia 1913 20 16.9 c X X 1 2 12 1 1 2
r9an 21 64.8 r/
ultimax Site 1951 ns 2 7,0 5
i-
i akland/Mla le 1971 ns 0,2 m X X 1
fr arks 6 Rec. Dept. - ns. 1,6 s 1
erlstein 1968 24 2.5 n '
ine Street 1949 25 8.6 n X X 1 1 2 1 2
ipkin 1919 25 1 4491 n X X 1 1
�1 {
iverfront 1978 27 4.0 s/u
0berts 1915 28 2.1 in X X l I 1 1 1 2
gers 1964 29 15.5 c X X . 1 4 2 1 1 2
pindletop 1911 30 16.0 c X X' ,2 1 j
'- prott� 1970 31 10.0 n X X' •1 2 2 l 1 2
yrrell 1926 32 489.0 r X X 4
eiss 1916 33 2.8 n X• X 1
s 1 ilson Art Center 1969 . 34 5 s
r v
Klein 1981 36 28 c/u
Woodlands 1828 37 10 n/u
i
ns=not shown on Figure IV-1 TYPE OF PARK i
X = facilities present m a mini s = special
1 = number of units n = neighborhood u e undeveloped
c = community * = Multimax site
3, r = regional designated Babe
Zaharias Park 1980
Alice Keith
Alice Keith Park is located on a nine-acre site near Lamar
University. Facilities include a softball diamond, basketball
court, two tennis courts , a playground, a community center and one
of Beaumont's three public swimming pools. The pool is of an
obsolete, above-ground design and is scheduled for replacement
in 1982.
Alice Keith Park is located at an intersection of two arterial
streets, Highland and Lavaca. Although the park is no. larger
than a large neighborhood park, it should in fact be treated as
a community park by virtue of its location at the convergence of
four neighborhoods. The existing Alice Keith pool may be replaced
with a pool at another site. Other improvements that are needed
to upgrade this park to community park standards are landscaping
and additional basketball goals and softball backstops. As a
community park, the Alice Keith site is of substandard size.
Development surrounding the park makes acquisition of additional
acreage very unlikely; therefore, it is important that this site
be developed more intensely to maximize its recreational utility.
Athletic Complex
The Municipal Athletic Complex is one of the newest and
most popular of the City's recreational sites. The 125 acre
special-use park, which is still under development, currently
contains nine softball diamonds, eight tennis courts, two basket-
ball coals, and a "creative playground" for small children. The
Athletic Complex is heavily used during the spring, summer and
fall by several softball leagues. A comprehensive master plan was
prepared for the development of the A.C. in 1975. Additional
facilities recommended in the master plan include several more
liahted softball complexes, an "aquatic center" featuring a
swimming pool , and 16 additional tennis courts.
Caldwood Park
Caldwood Park is a 2.5 acre neighborhood park dedicated
by plat as part of the Caldwood Addition in 1900. The park is
3.4
one half the minimum size for a neighborhood park, however this
deficiency is somewhat reduced in significance by the park's
relatively small , low-density service area. A tennis court,
basketball goal , playground and picnic area are located in the park.
Carrol Street
Carrol Street Park is a nine-acre neighborhood park located
in the Charlton Pollard community development target area. The
site is partially developed and currently features softball diamonds,
playground equipment, basketball goals and a wading pool . A portion
of the site is currently being used by Mobil Oil as a parking lot
under a leasing arrangement. The current Capital Improvements
Program includes appropriations for lighted tennis courts . Land-
scaping for screening and beautification is badly needed to reduce
the visually blighting effects of an oil refinery adjacent to the
park. New playground equipment is also needed.
Central
At one time, the Central Park site included 75 acres and was
the location of the Municipal Airport. Large portions of the site
have been sold and the park now contains only 13.9 acres, which
makes it substandard size for a community park. In 1979 the
Beaumont Best Years Center, an activaty facility for senior
citizens , was opened in the renovated Naval Reserve building.
In addition to a steam locomotive display, Central Park's
facilities include four tennis courts, a playground, a small lake,
and softball diamonds.
Combest
Combest Park was dedicated by plat as part of the Mingiewood
Addition in North Beaumont. The park is 2. 1 acres in area and contains
picnic and playground areas, a wading pook, baseball diamond and basket-
ball goals.
3. 5
Chai son
Chaison Park is a 2.1 acre neighborhood park serving the area
South of Washington Boulevard, West of Highland Street, East of
Avenue H and North of Lavaca Street. Facilities include a picnic
area, playground, wading pool , softball diamond and basketball goal .
Cottonwood
Cottonwood Park is a 2.6 acre neighborhood park near Fair Park
and the Concord Public Housing project. Although the parks size is
substandard, considerable open space is available at nearby Fair
Park, the Multimax property, and Magnolia Park. Cottonwood Park
has volleyball and softball facilities, a wading pool , basketball
goals, a playground and a softball backstop.
Fair Park
Fair Park is a sixty acre multi-purpose special use facility
whose most prominent features are the Southeast Texas State
Fairgrounds and the new Fair Park Arena, a covered outdoor facility
used for rodeos and musical concerts. The Beaumont Little Theatre,
the Harvest Club, and an art museum are also housed in Fair Park.
The original Fair Park Master Plan is currently undergoing revision.
Major utility. repair work will be necessary in the near future, in
addition to heating, venting and air conditioner system repairs at
the Harvest Club building.
Forest
Forest Park was dedicated by plat as a part of the Forest Park
subdivision and consists of a 2.5 acre playground and picnic area.
The park averages approximately 125 feet in width and abuts a
railroad track for a distance of approximately 1000 feet.
Gilbert
Gilbert Park is adjacent to Saint Anne's School between
Liberty, Calder, 11th and 13th Streets. The service area of the
2.1 acre park is severely constrained by its close proximity to
Interstate 10 and three major thoroughfares, however it is well utilized
3. 6
as a recreation area for the adjacent school . Tennis courts, a
wading pool , a playground, and a fish pond are located in Gilbert
Park.
Haynes
Haynes Park, unlike most of Beaumont's neighborhood parks ,
meets the minimum five acre site standard for neighborhood parks.
park is located in the sparsely developed, semi-rural Beaumont
Improvement subdivision east of Helbig Road. A playground, basket-
ball court, and softball diamond are the only improvements in
Haynes Park. Population growth east of Helbig Road would justify
more intensive development of this park.
Hebert
Hebert Park consists of three tennis courts, a wading pool ,
and a shelter on a one acre site at the corner of 7th and Smart
Streets. This park is too small to be classified as a neighborhood
park, but is a useful supplement to the nearby McClean neighborhood
park site. The tennis courts are in poor condition and should be
repaired.
Ida Reed
Ida Reed Park is a 2.25 acre neighborhood park located at 7th
and Louisiana Streets in the Averili Addition. A tennis court,
softball diamond, and basketball goals are located in the park.
The park's service area consists of the Averill Addition between
Interstate 10, Calder, 11th Street and 1st Street.
Jacobs Street
Jacobs Street Park is located at the corner of Jacobs and
Anthony Streets in the Charlton Pollard community development target
area. This is one of the City's two mini-parks and consists
of one-half acre of land, playground equipment, a picnic area, and
basketball goals. The park was built in 1974 and is in good condition.
Keith
Keith Park is a 2.1 acre special use park, consisting of the
grounds of the old City Hall . Keith Park is Beaumont's oldest park
3.7
property, dating back to the original Beaumont Townsite Plat of
1838. The parks primary functions are downtown beautification
and passive recreation.
Liberia
Liberia Park, located in the Hebert community development
target neighborhood, is a 4.2 acre neiqhborhood park. Facilities
include a picnic area, a playground, a softball diamond,
a tennis court and swimming and wading pools. The swimming pool
is in poor condition and the wading pool is substandard in size.
McLean
McLean Park is a 2.7 acre neighborhood park located at the
corner of 7th and Angelina Streets in the Oakdale Addition. The
park contains picnic and playground facilities, a softball diamond,
and a basketball goal.
Magnolia
Magnolia Park, located between Gulf and Magnolia streets
is a. 16.9 acre community park serving several northeast Beaumont
neighborhoods. Magnolia Park's facilities include picnic and
playground areas , a softball diamond, two tennis courts , basketball
goals, and swimming and wading pools. The 1980-1984 Capital Improve-
ments Program provides for replacement of the above-ground swimming
pool in fiscal year 1982.
Morgan
The totally undeveloped 64.8 acre Morgan Park site is located
North of East Lucas Street near its intersection with Magnolia Street.
The site has poor street access and is subject to frequent, prolonged
flooding. In practical terms , the site is undeveiopable as a conven-
tional park, but could be incorporated into a system of greenbelts
and nature preserves. y V
Multimax Property
The 27 acre Multimax site is located south of Fair Park on
Interstate 10. A museum, commemorating Babe Didrikson Zaharias, a
former Beaumont resident who is generally recognized as one of the
3.8
best woman athletes of all time, was recently built on the southeast
corner of the site. The property is used by a children's soccer
league and several soccer goals have been erected. (The soccer fields
are maintained by the league) . The site is also used as a playfield,
driving range, jogging track, and for other informal recreational
activities., The site's conspicuous location on Interstate 10 makes
it an important element of Beaumont's overall physical appearance.
The site has recently been granted park status and renamed Babe
2aharias Park.
Oakland/Maple
The second of the City's two r,ini-parks , the .2 acre
Oakland/Maple site features a picnic area, playground equipment, and
a basketball goal . It serves a low-income residential area east of
the Multimax site.
Perlstein
The Perlstein property on Phelan Boulevard near 23rd Street
was until recently totally undeveloped. The 2.5 acre site, when
developed, will be a neighborhood park serving residential areas
south of Phelan, west of Interstate 10, and east of 23rd Street.
Parking, shelters, and tennis courts are programmed for construction
in fiscal year 1981 . Playground equipment was installed in late 1979.
Pine Street
Pine Street Park is an 8.6 acre neighborhood park located
in the Pine Oaks community development target area. A tennis court,
a softball diamond, basketball goals, a little league diamond, a
wading pool , and picnic and playground areas are located in Pine Street
Park. The southern edge of the park is heavily wooded. The park is
across the street from Martin Elementary School , illustrating the
neighborhood design concept of the creation of neighborhood centers
by locating a park and elementary school in or near the geographic
center of the neighborhood.
Pipkin
Pipkin Park is located between Park and Pennsylvania Streets,
south of Beaumont's central business district. A wading pool , a
playground, a rose garden and the Temple to the Brave War Memorial
are the primary improvements in this park. Pipkin Park's location
between two streets forming an arterial "one-way pair" limits its
3. 9
effective service area as a neighborhood park, although the park is an
important aesthic asset.
Riverfront
Riverfront Park is currently undeveloped. The crescent-shaped,
four acre site borders the Neches River for more than a quarter mile
and, when developed, will be a special purpose park providing down-
town beautification and passive recreational opportunities.
Development of Riverfront Park is part of the overall development
plan for the municipal complex on Main Street. Development funding
is programmed through 1982.
Roberts
Roberts Park, a 2.1 acre neighborhood park, is located at the
intersection of Roberts Street and Avenue B in Southeast Beaumont.
Improvements include a tennis court, a softball diamond, playgrounds,
shelter and wading pool .
Rogers
Rogers Park is a 15.5 acre community park at the corner of
Dowlen Road and Gladys Avenue. The park primarily serves the area
between Lucas, Delaware, Phelan, and Major, although its location
on a major north-south thoroughfare makes it easily accessible by
automobile to most of west Beaumont. Improvements include four
tennis courts, a softball diamond, basketball goals , a wading pool ,
and a community center. About one-fourth of Roger's Park immediate
service area is currently undeveloped. Usage of this park can be expected
to increase significantly as further residential development occurs
in west Beaumont.
Spindletop
Spindletop Park is a 16 acre park located at the intersection
of Spindletop Avenue and the Kansas City Southern Railroad, north
of Cardinal Drive. Facilities include picnic and playground areas ,
two softball diamonds and basketball goals. The parks location
makes it generally inaccessible, and it has fallen to disuse. Although
the desirable service radius standard for a community park is one to two
miles, there are only approximately 260 dwelling units within a one mile
3.10
radius of Spindletop Park, and future large scale residential devel-
opment is improbable.
Sprott
Sprott Park is a 10-acre neighborhood park north of the
intersection of Virginia and St. Louis Streets in South Beaumont.
Picnic and playground areas, basketball goals, two tennis courts,
a community center and a wading pool are located in the park.
Sprott Park is well located in relation to its service area, which
includes two large apartment projects .
Tyrrell
Tyrrell Park is Beaumont's only developed regional Dark
Located in the extreme southern end of Beaumont, Tyrrell Park consists
of a 489 acre site featuring picnic areas, a playground, an 18-hole
public golf course, an archery range, a riding academy, a unique
"scent garden", and several natural wooded areas. Improvements of
roads and parking and construction of new shelter and restroom
facilities are programmed for the 1980 fiscal year.
Weiss
Weiss Park is a 2.8 acre neighborhood park on the western fringe
of Beaumont's central business district. A fish pond, rose garden,
playground, wading pool , and shelter are included in the park, which
provides much needed developed open space in the downtown area.
Park Site Deficiencies
Table 3-2 identifies individual park sites not meeting the
acreage, locational and facility standards discussed in Chapter III.
Figure 3-2 , shows the one-half mile service radii of existing neigh-
borhood parks and Figure 3-3 Shows areas within one and one-half
miles of existing community parks.
Size Deficiencies
As shown by Table 3-2 , the most common park site deficiency
3. 11
TABLE 3-2
PARK SITE DEFICIENCIES
PARK SIZE DEFICIENCY FACILITY DEFICIENCY LOCATIONAL DEFICIENCY
Alice Keith X X
Caldwood x
Carroll Street X X
Central X X
Chaison x
Combest x x
Cottonwood x
Forest x x
Gilbert x
Guseman x x
Haynes x
w Hebert x x
N Ida Reed x
Jacobs Street
Liberia x x
McClean x
Magnolia x
Morgan x x
Oakland/Maple
Perlstein x x x
Pine Street x
Pipkin x
Roberts x
Rogers
Spindletop x x
Sprott
Tyrrell
Weiss x x
Not included: Special Use Parks
FIGURE 3-2 �1 �0a H �D r� CO n ED I L%[R K
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3.13
FIGURE 3-3 Q3MMU[N]ffy (PAR(
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3.14
is that of substandard acreage in neighborhood parks . There are
four possible actions that can be taken to overcome park size
deficiencies :
1 ) . Acquisition of additional adjacent land to increase total
park acreage.
2) . Acquisition of a standard size replacement site within the
service area of the substandard park.
3). Design and facility improvements to maximize the recreational
utility of the substandard site.
4). Provision of additional small parks, including vest pocket
parks, within the substandard parks service area.
5) . Utilization of alternate sites for recreation, such as
school grounds.
Ideally, the first two of this list of actions would be the
preferred method of correcting site size deficiencies , however,
due to the realities of financing and land availability, the last
three approaches are apt to be more workable, especially in fully
developed residential areas where vacant land_is prohibitively
expensive or simply non-existent.
Locational Deficiencies
Problems stemming from poorly located park sites are difficult
to correct once a park has been developed; furthermore, the scarcity
of land for park development often creates a necessity to choose
3.13
between a park with certain locational deficiencies or no park at
all . Short of relocating parks, certain planning actions and site
design improvements can be implemented to overcome some of the ill
effects of locational deficiencies; for example, fencing or screening
can be utilized to reduce the safety, noise, and aesthetic problems
resulting from locating a neighborhood park on a major street.
Facility Deficiencies
Table 3-2 indicates that many of Beaumont's parks require
additional recreation facilities and equipment. Generally, these
deficiencies are due to deterioration or obsolescence of existing
facilities and to incomplete development of park sites. These
deficiencies must be corrected through the City's capital improvements
program.
Service Area Deficiencies
Figure 3-4 shows the residential areas in Beaumont in which
residents cannot reach a neighborhood park without crossing an arterial
street or freeway, or which are more than one half mile from the
nearest neighborhood park. (Areas in which a community park or large
urban park is accessible within one-half mile without crossing
arterial streets are considered adequately served by parks and are
not shaded on the map) . Service area deficiencies can be corrected
3. 16
'FIGURE 3-4
y �
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r `Pei:tia 0���,: ����� ` �tY" �'•.
STATE H191Wd 106!� "' �
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Existing Parks
INAQ Residential Areas Not Served
By Neighborhood Parks
3. 17
by provision of new parks or by improving the closest parks to
accomodate a larger population. The second option should be
exercised in situations in which the population size of the un-served
area is too small to justify provision of an additional park. In
some cases , sidewalk and pedestrian crossing improvements could
be utilized to lessen safety hazards in crossing busy streets,
thereby increasing the effective service areas of some neighborhood
parks .
Future Park Requirements
Future needs for park system improvements have been projected
in accordance with the standards listed in Beaumont's Comprehensive Plan.
Since trends in population growth and distribution, housing density,
availability of leisure time, and personal preferences in recreational
pursuits are subject to change, these generalized, long-range forecasts
should be reviewed and updated periodically. Furthermore, the projec
tions should be subjected to "reasonability checks" in relation to the
City's financial capabilities.
Table 3-3- shows a projected demand for `1400 acres of public
parkland in the year 2000. Of this total , 350 acres should be
J.I:.S
TABLE 3-3
PROJECTED PARK REQUIREMENTS
PARK CLASSIFICATION EXISTING PARKS NEEDED BY 2000 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
(ACRES) (ACRES) 1980-2000 (ACRES)
Neighborhood 72 350 278
Community 71 350 279
Regional and Special 686 700 14
Total 829 1400 571
1Undeveloped sites are included in total of dedicated existing parks, with the
exception of the undevelopable 65 acre Morgan site.
3.19
devoted to neighborhood parks , -35-G acres to community parks and
700 acres to regional and special parks. Comparing these
figures to existing resources, 278 additional acres of neighborhood
parks, 279 acres of community parks and 14 acres of special
parks will be required within the next 20 years. With the exception
of the swampy Morgan Park site, existing undeveloped park sites
were counted as existing parks for projection purposes . Nature
preserves and openspace corridors were not included in future park
requirement figures,.
Recreational Facilities and Equipment
Existing Facilities
Table 3-4 provides an overall inventory of the recreational
facility and equipment resources of Beaumont's park system. Table
3-1 includes a listing of selected types of facilities on a park-
by-park basis. Table . 3-5 shows the relationship of the City's
existing recreational facilities to the standards for these
facilities contained in Beaumont's Comprehensive Plan.
Future Recreational Facility Requirements
Table 3-6 shows projected recreational facility requirements for
the years 1985 and 2000 using two sets of standards : population ratio
standards derived from the National Recreation and Park Association
standards , and "participation" standards provided by the Texas
3. 20
TABLE 3-4
COMPLETE LISTING OF
RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
1 BASEBALL DIAMOND
1 18 HOLE GOLF COURSE
1 FOOTBALL FIELD
1 GARDEN CENTER
1 PEE WEE DIAMOND
1 PLATFORM TRAILER
1 RIDING ACADEMY
1 SHOWMOBILE
1 TENNIS CENTER
2 ART CENTERS
2 BADMINTON COURTS
2 PADDLEBALL COURTS
2 TRAILER AREAS (94 hookups)
3 FISH PONDS
3 MULTIPURPOSE COVERED HARD
SURFACED AREA (LIGHTED)
5 COMMUNITY BUILDINGS
5 VOLLEYBALL COURTS
9 SHELTERS
9 SOFTBALL FIELDS (8 LIGHTED)
11 MAINTENANCE TOOL SHEDS
15 SOFTBALL BACKSTOPS
16 HARD SURFACED AREAS
16 WADING POOLS
28 BASKETBALL GOALS
31 REST ROOMS
32 TENNIS COURTS (20 LIGHTED)
65 BARBEQUE UNITS
86 PARK BENCHES
181 CONCRETE PICNIC UNITS
193 UNITS PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT
3 TENNIS REBOUND BOARDS
3. 2 i
TABLE 3-5
RECREATIONAL FACILITY DEFICIENCIES
CITY OF BEAUMONT PARK SYSTEM
FACILITY STANDARD EXISTING ADDITIONAL FACILITIES NEEDED TO MEET STANDARD
(1978 POPULATION)
Tennis Courts 1 per 2,000 persons 32 27
Solftball Diamonds 1 per 3,000 persons 24 15
Golf Course 1 per 54,000 persons 1 1
Swimming Pool 450 sq. ft. per 1000 23,471 sq. ft. 29,642 sq. ft.
persons
Community Center 1 per 20,000 persons 51 1
rJ Playground 1 .5 acre per 1000 39 acres2 138 acres
iJ
persons
Soccer Field 1 per 20,000 persons 73 0
Football Field l per 20,000 persons 1 5
ZExisting "Community Centers" are substandard, should be upgraded
Playground acreage estimated at 1 .5 acres per playground
3Constructed and maintained by soccer league on city property
TABLE 3-6
PROJECTED NEED FOR ADDITIONAL RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
Additional Need Projected Additional Need Projected
By Population Ratio Standards By Participation Standards
Facility Existing 1985 2000 1985 2000
Tennis Courts 32 35 75 27 64
Softball Diamonds 24 21 26 0 0
Golf Course (18 holes) l 1 1 3 4
Swimmina Pools 23,471 sq. ft. 43,329 sq. ft. 51 ,649 sq. ft. 71 ,308 sq. ft. 130,456 sq. ft.
N
Playground 39 acres 161 acres 186 acres 13 acres 48 acres
Soccer Fiells 7 0 1 0 1
Football Fields 1 6 7 12 23
1
New fields can be combined with other sports fields
Department of Parks and Wildlife. Planning Department population
projections of 123,549 persons in 1985 and 140,040 in 2000 were
used for facility projection purposes. As seen from the table, tennis
courts , swimming pools , and playing fields are projected to be among
the most demanded facilities by the year 2000.
Special Facilities for the Elderly and Handicapped
The City of Beaumont operates the Best Years Center, a recrea-
tional center for the elderly, in a refurbished Navel Reserve
building adjacent to Central Park. The center provides a variety
of classes and organized activities and also activities and also
serves as a meeting site for senior citizens organizations. Total
annual attendance is over 28,000 persons.
All new or rehabilitated parks systems buildings are made
accessible to the handicapped as a matter of City policy. Additionally,
some items of play equipment are designed for use by handicapped
children. A new swimming pool at Magnolia Park features a ramp
for the mobilly impaired.
Specialized recreation services for the handicapped are provided
by the school districts, the Beaumont State Center for Human Develop-
ment, the Texas Commission for the Blind, South East Texas Mental
Health/Mental Retardation, and the Cerebral Palsy Foundation provide
specialized recreation programs for the handicapped.
The Planning and Parks staffs met with an "advocate" for the
mentally impaired and a handicapped architect when the Parks and
3.24
Open Space Element of the Comprehensive Plan was in preparation to
gather information regarding site planning accessibility standards.
As a result, general standards for facilities for the handicapped
were included in the plan. New park designs are generally based
upon the principle that the handicapped should be "maiinstreamed"
into recreational activities rather than segregated.
Facilities With Historic or Architectural Significance
Although none of the facilities managed by the Parks and
Recreation Department are listed on the National Historic Register,
several facilities have local historic and architectural signifi-
cance. Keith Park, which is the grounds of the Julie Rodgers
Theatre for the performing arts, is the City's oldest park and
was included in 1838 in the Original Beaumont Townsite plat.
Alice Keith and Gilbert Parks each feature interesting landscape
structure and designs of typical public park design concepts
popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Tyreell Park's Recreation Center,
a civilian Conservation Corps project of the Depression era, is
architecturally noteworthy for its pleasing aesthetics and use
of native materials.
3.25
Other Sources Of Recreational Opportunities
Major open space and recreational opportunities are provided
to the citizens of Beaumont by the City's two school districts and by
four YMCA branches. Private recreational facilities , ranging
from small apartment complex swimming pools to a multi-use country
club, and a wide range of commercial recreational facilities supplement
the City's public recreational resources.
Public School Sites
Figure 3-7 shows locations of public school sites in the Beaumont
and South Park school districts with 10 or more acres , and Table 3-5
provides acreage and other data for each site. Generally, the school
sites in the older areas of east Beaumont are small and provide fewer
recreation and open space benefits than the larger sites in the west and
northwest.
YMCA
There are four YMCA branches in Beaumont. The downtown branch
recently added racquet ball courts to its gymnasium facilities . The
south end Melton YMCA branch includes ball fields and an indoor
activity building. The West End Y, recently cuitstructed on
Dowlen Road, features tennis courts, a heated swimming pool , and a
3.26
FIGURE 3-5 SC
a _
[L� � 00
� J
3-1 LJ lJ
r ISLgA,O
(10 ACRES+?
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i
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PARKDALE .` /-----
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SEE TABLE 3-7
FOR SCHOOL SITE DATA
3.27
TABLE 3-7
School Sites: 10 Acres and Larger
NUMBER ON
FIGURE IV -5 NAME TYPE* DISTRICT** ACRES
1 Guess E B 20
2 Lucas E B 10
3 Franch E B 10
4 Wilbanks E B 10
S Dunbar E B 10
0 6 Bowie_ J B 14
7 Austin J B 12
8 French H a B 23
g Beaumont Charlton Pollard F! B 52
10 Sallie Curtis E SP 20
11 Amelia E SP 28
12 FEHL E SP 12
13 Marsha II J SP 16
14 Odom J SP 20
15 Forest Park H SP 100
16 Hebert H SP 24
17 South Park H SP 10
* E = Elementary School ** B = Beaumont School District
J = Junior High SP = South Park District
11 = High School
wide range of instructional programs. The North End Y is scheduled to
move into the YMBL building in early 1980, and will offer instructional
programs in arts and crafts , exercise, and dance. The North End
Y makes use of public park and swimming pool facilities under
cooperative arrangements with the City.
Private Recreational Facilities
The Beaumont Country Club, located on the Neches River north
of Lucas Street is the City's largest private recreational site.
Facilities include a club house, tennis courts and a golf course.
A private tennis club is located in Beaumont's west end.
Several cluster-housing developments in Beaumont include
private open space and recreational facilities for use by their
residents and numerous larger apartment complexes provide swimming
pools for tenant use.
Commercial Recreation Facilities
Major commercial recreational facilities located in Beaumont
include skating rinks , miniature golf courses , a golf driving
range, bowling alleys and a go-kart track.
A motocross track was recently developed north of Beaumont in
Lumberton. Broadening the definition of recreation to include
commercial entertainment facilities, Beaumont residents have access
to night clubs , discos , and movie theatres.
3.29
Regional Recreational Opportunities
Within a two hours drive of Beaumont, there are numerous
fresh water and saltwater oriented recreational sites, including man
made lakes in deep East Texas , Sabine Lake (an inland salt-water
bay) in Port Arthur., and Sea Rim'Park, located on the Gdlf of Mexico in
southern Jefferson County. Arquments have been made that the availabil-
ity of these recreational resources in relatively close proximity to
Beaumont reduces the need for parks, swimming pools , and other
recreational facilities in the city. While it is true that the
lakes, bays, and the Gulf provide many unique recreational oppor-
tunities, they do not reduce the need for a first-rate municipal
park system. These areas are used by Beaumonters primarily on
weekends and during vacation. Municipal parks should offer daily
recreational opportunities and should require very little travel time
for access. Furthermore, many segments of our population, including
the poor, the handicapped, the elderly, and the very young lack
the transportation to utilize the lakes and beaches on a regular
basis.
Factors Affectinq Demand For Parks And Recreational Facilities
Several social and economic trends currently in motion in
Beaumont are exerting their influences on demand for parks and recreatT
ional facilities . These include population growth, changes in the
aqe group, composition of the population, changes in personal
mobility patterns , increasing leisure time, and new recreational
interests , income, -and residential density.
3.30
Population and Age Group Composition Forecast
Early 1980 Census returns list Beaumont's population as
118,031 persons. Population projections have been prepared
forecasting population and age group composition through the
year 2000. These forecasts are needed for park planning purposes
because population growth and changes in age group composition are
two of the most significant variables influencing the demand for
recreational facilities .
Table 3-8 summarizes a "mid-range" population projection
prepared by the Planning Department. The mid-range projection falls.
between a "low" and a "high" projection; the three sets of projections
were prepared to represent slow, moderate, and rapid economic
growth scenarios. The mid-range projection was selected for long-
range planning purposes because it is felt that it provides a reason-
able projection of Beaumont's future population growth.
It can be seen by Table 3-8 that the total population of
persons over age 65 is expected to increase dramatically while
the under 18 age group will increase slightly, more due to in-
migration of working age families than to birth rates, which are
expected to stabilize at their current low level . These under
18 and over 65 age groups are important in park planning because
these age groups generally are major user groups of recreational
facilities. Obviously, the recreational needs of these two .age
groups vary, with the younger age group requiring more playground
equipment and playing fields , and the older group requiring more
passive recreational facilities. Figures 3-6 and 3-7 show
3.31
TABLE 3-8
POPULATION FORECAST BY AGE BEAUMONT TEXAS
ACE 1980( M/F ) 1985(M/F) 1990( M/F) 1995(M/F > 2000( M/F )
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0-4 4728/4433 6019/5785 6045/5813 5896/5748 5701/5429
5-9 4438/4246 4704/4409 5988/5718 6117/5840 5910/5874
10-14 4519/4447 4409/4225 4675/4386 5980/5722 6195/5869
15-19 5295/5200 4459/4407 4376/4201 4668/4401 5973/5726
20-24 5847/5695 5190/5155 4390/4361 4373/4214 4660/4418
25-29 5305/5383 5768/5649 5070/5103 4411/4407 4370/4229
30-34 4271/4573 5228/5495 5678/5595 5082/5141 4433/4456
35-39 3172/3449 4192/4517 5141/5646 5654/5606 5094/5182
40-44 2688/2926 3103/3402 4102/4453 5091/5634 5628/5617
45-49 2738/3066 2600/2868 3024/3348 4027/4432 5036/5623
50-54 3038/3633 2626/2981 2499/2801 2913/3281 3945/4409
55-59 3003/3435 2819/3482 2474/2885 2348/2738 2793/3208
60-64 2415/2856 2689/3253 2570/3310 2315/2750 2184/2669
65-69 2015/2465 2057/2637 2335/3047 2212/3087 1966/2604
70-74 1520/2134 1610/2177 1654/2389 1876/2711 1824/2846
75-79 979/1935 1123/1763 1153/1853 1230/1992 1379/2348
80-84 539/838 649/1393 675/1344 760/1335 771/1562
85f 268/539 258/448 276/782 308/731 335/774
----- --------- --------- --------- --------- ------ ---
56778/61253 59503/63588 62125/67035 65261/69880 68197/72843
TOTAL **118053** **123549** **130160** **135031** **141040**
M=MALE,F=FEMALE
SOURCEVEAUMONT PLANNING DEPARTMENT
FIGURE 3-6
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PERCENTAGE OF PERSONS UNDER
j' 18 YEARS IS HIGHER THAN ;-ITY
{ AVERAGE OF 28.24%
4 F d � EhR
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3.33
FIGURE 3-7
PERSONS 65 OR OVER
1.02
1.01
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3.01 F+� =_
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CORPORATE LIMITS �/Vf 26
13.03 PERCENTAGE OF PERSONS 65 YEARS
OR OVER EXCEEDS CITY AVERAGE OF
11.4%
v
CORPORATE _
LIMIT's
3.34
distributions of persons in the under 18 age group and of retired
household heads (roughly equivalent to the distribution of persons
over 65) by Census Tracts as of 1977.
Mobility
Personal mobility, or the ease with which a person can travel at
will to a destination of his or her choice, affects demand for parks
and recreational facilities and is an important consideration in
selecting locations for parks. Two mobility-related issues are
especially relevant to park planning at this time: the unique
mobility problems of the "transportation disadvantaged" groups within
the population, and the effect of increasingly scarce and expensive
fuel supplies upon personal mobility.
It is widely assumed that the automobile has given all urban
Americans unlimited mobility. If this assumption were completely
valid, less emphasis would be placed upon the importance of planning
for the location and distribution of parks within the urban area ;
however, just as some Americans are disadvantaged in terms of
income, there are others who are disadvantaged in terms of
transporation. Most of the transportation disadvantaged belong
to one or more� of-'the following groups : the poor, the handicapped,
the elderly, and the very young. In addition to these four major
groups, many housewives in one-car families can also be classified
as transportation disadvantaged.
The provision of easily accessible neighborhood and sub-
neighborhood parks should be a primary concern in planning for
3;35 .
the recreational needs of the transportation disadvantaged groups.
Additionally, community parks, large parks , and special use facilities
should be convenient to public transit routes in order to increase
their accessibility to the transportation disadvantaged.
Beaumont, like the rest of the United States, has suffered the
effects of two major gasoline shortages within the last five years.
During this time period, gasoline prices have increased by approx-
imately 200 percent, and more shortages and price increases in the
future are inevitable. As a result, family recreational patterns
will be altered, especially on weekends, when trips to local
recreational facilities are increasingly likely to be substituted
for long trips to state and national parks and other recreational
sites in rural areas. The increasing costs of automobile travel
will cause families to seek recreational opportunities which do
not involve large transportation costs, therefore, it is likely
that the demand upon the local park system will increase.
"New" Recreational Activities
The demand for recreational facilities is subject to rapid
changes in public preferences for different types of recreational
pursuits , as exemplified by the recent surges of interest in jogging,
bicycling, soccer, and racquetball . Park plans and capital improve-
ment programs should retain enough flexibility to allow revisions
in response to changes in recreational facility demand. It is
3.36
also important for park planners to carefully evaluate emerging
trends in demand for facilities.
Leisure Time
Shorter work weeks, increased vacation and retirement benefits ,
and longer life-spans have resulted in a continuing trend toward
increased leisure time. Much of this increased leisure time
is being devoted to the pursuit of recreational activities ,
thereby contributing to total demand for public park and
recreational facilities.
Income
One.'s income affects one's needs and access to recreational
services. Residents of higher income areas generally benefit from
comparatively low residential densities and have- more access to
Private and commercial recreational opportunities. Lower income
individuals tend to live in higher density residential areas and
are less able to utilize commercial and private recreation resources.
Parks and recreational facilities in lower income areas of Beaumont
are older than in higher income areas and therefore are generally
in poorer physical condition than the newer parks in higher income
areas. Finally, as noted previously, lower income persons tend to
be less mobile than more affluent individuals and are hence more
dependent upon close to home recreational sites. Figure 3_8
3.37
FIGURE 3-8
INCOME DISTRIBUTION:
1.02 Poverty
1
1.0
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T
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F
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7
2
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13.03 PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES
W BELOW POVERTY LEVEL EX-
' CEEDS CITY AVERAGE OF 12.07%
CORPORATE
LIMITS
3.39
FIGURE 3-9
"FM�ZDD 1EX7UL
�Nf
e s» ISLq
NO
i " (INTENSITY OF USE OF
RESIDENTIAL LAND)
zit � f
r
`� � •tliRfcOAL£ � �+
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Of
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i { ,sS ,F r s - \' PORT OF
1 .. ♦ \ B£4UMONT
COLLEC Oa LE
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PARK Dwelling Units Per Acre
10 or more
5.5 - 9.99
.01 - 5.49
3.40
areas, and drainage and irrigation corridors are open space assets
which, if properly preserved and utilized, can make substantial
contributions to the environmental , aesthetic and recreational
quality of life in Beaumont. Figure 3-10 illustrates the location
of each of these special interest areas .
Pine Island Bayou
Pine Island Bayou and the wooded areas along its banks
constitute a unique environmental and aesthetic asset of a kind
seldom found within the corporate limits of a city. Pine Island
Bayou was selected as an "Area of Particular Concern" and an "Urban
Natural Area" by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1976
as part of an inventory of environmental assets performed for the
Texas Coastal Zone Management program. The Pine Island Bayou area
also makes up the Pine Island Bayou unit of the Big Thicket, gen-
erally regarded as one of the most environmentally significant
and ecologically diversified natural areas in the United States .
This area should be protected from intensive urbanization. Since
all of the bayou is flanked by lands with flood hazard designations,
intense development pressure is unlikely.
Neches River Wetlands
The large, predominantly swampy area west of the Neches River
3.41
1
KEITH RD.
1 KEITH RO. I .��,�, .�r�r.�
1 J x
�o N J �lSri:
(FM 381) M`Oq OR � MOP=P. � (FM 341144) 4-0
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t �� pt }ter
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VENTH
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;� a •l �sJ D *� , 1 �'r'� � r� ��,r.. tin.,..,r;�S r7=�1
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is a part of a large system of marshes and swamps ranging along the
Neches from Sabine Lake as far north as Jasper County. Part of
this area within the Beaumont city limits was classified as a
Critical Habitat in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's 1976
designation of areas of particular concern of the Texas Coastal
Management Program. The 1960 Comprehensive Plan recommended that
this area remain undeveloped as a Public Reserve.
Poor soil conditions, designation as a flood hazard area, low
elevation, and vulnerability to hurricane storm surge, and Federal
restrictions upon development of wetlands make it unlikely that
this area will undergo intensive development.
Wooded Areas
In addition to the woodlands associated with the Pine Island
Bayou and Neches River floodplains, there are other sizeable wooded
natural -areas within the city. Although many sections of Beaumont
are still heavily wooded, the spread of development is gradually
reducing the total acreage of woodlands, and further reductions can
3.43
be expected in the future.
There are several compelling reasons for seeking to preserve
substantial quantities of wooded natural areas , one of the most
obvious being that woodlands are pleasing visually. The wooded
character of much of Beaumont is perhaps the city's single greatest
aesthetic asset.
Preservation of woodlands is also desirable from a purely
practical standpoint. Woodlands protect soils from erosion by
reducing the impact of rain and wind. The volume of storm runoff
from wooded areas is less than that from cleared or urbanized
land. Vegetated watersheds absorb rainfall and release runoff
into stream systems gradually. Deforestation, especially in flood-
plains, can result in increased flooding hazards.
Woodlands serve an important function in moderating air pol-
lution, a serious concern in the Beaumont area. Airborne chemical
pollutants such as ozone, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide are
absorbed by trees and other vegetation.
Forested land is subject to less severe fluctuation of
temperature extremes than are unforested areas. Trees absorb solar
radiation in the process of photosynthesis and, in the summer,
can produce a haze of water vapor which further reduces temperatures .
3.44
Breezes passing through wooded areas are cooler than breezes passing
through urbanized or deforested areas. Woodlands can moderate noise
pollution by serving as sound-absorbing buffers . Pines and other
conifers are especially useful for this purpose because they retain
their foilage year-round. Wooded greenbelts situated between
residential areas and sources of noise, such as freeways or
factories, can reduce noise levels as well as providing attractive
visual buffers.
Obviously, not all wooded areas can, or should, remain in
their natural state; however, preservation of selected wooded tracts
is desirable from an environmental standpoint because of their
flooding, pollution and noise abatement functions. Furthermore,
substantial wooded tracts should be preserved for purely recreational
and aesthetic reasons. Wooded tracts, in the form of parks or
greenbelts, can be interspersed with residential neighborhoods,
providing aesthetic and recreational amenities (which may also
increase property values) as well as the previously noted environ-
mental benefits.
Downtown Riverfront
Beaumont's downtown riverfront area is a potential recreational
and aesthetic asset that has yet to be exploited, due largely to
the intensive industrial and shipping use of this part of the river.
The downtown Riverfront Park was recently completed.
J.a5
Completion of this project not only compliments the appearance
of the new Civic Center/City Hall Complex but will also provide
much needed open space for the downtown area and will make the
recreational and aesthetic benefits of the riverfront more accessible
to Beaumont's citizens.
Drainageways And Irrigation Canals
Beaumont is criss-crossed with major drainageways and irrigation
canals. Although the drainage easements and canals serve two entirely
different functions, they both provide continuous, linear open
space corridors of varying widths. These open space corridors provide
opportunities for linear park or "greenbelt" development, which can
include hike and bike paths, jogging paths and landscaped passive
recreation areas, or can serve simply as visually interesting buffers
between land uses. Full exploitation of these existing open-space
corridors would require cooperation between the City, the Drainage
District, and the Lower Neches Valley Authority. Any use of these
corridors should be designed in such a way to minimize safety
hazards to potential users and should not interfere with the
primary functions of the drainage and irrigation easements.
3.46
REHABILITATION NEEDS
Distribution of Needs
The need for recovery in Beaumont' s public park and recreation
system was noted in the inventory of physical resources. Table
3.4 has indicated those park sites where "facilities need rehabili-
tation or replacement. " The 21 sites needing rehabilitation
alphabetically are as follows: Alice Keith Community Park, Caldwood
and Carroll Street Neighborhood Parks , Central Community Park,
Chaison, Combest, Cottonwood, Forest, Gilbert, Hebert and Ida Reed
Neighborhood Parks, Jacobs Street Mini-Park, Liberia and McLean
Neighborhood Parks, Magnolia Community Park, The Oakland-Maple
Mini-Park, Pine Street, Pipkin and Roberts Neighborhood Parks,
Tyrrell Regional Park and Weiss Neighborhood Park. As shown in
Figure 3-1, the above named sites - which constitute the great
majority of Beaumont' s parks -- are concentrated in the eastern
part of the city. These areas are also marked by high concentrations
of poverty and high net residential densities, as Figures 3•8 and
3.9 have shown.
Recovery needs are most keenly felt at sites acquired before
1960. Beaumont' s recreation resources are limited by a dependence
on "original equipment" -- not only playground facilities that date
hack to the acquisition and development of a site, but also mainte-
nance that has brought the older facilities into the current inven-
tory. Figure 3—11 shows the distribution of sites needing rehabilita-
tion. The general distribution of families with low to moderate
incomes is also indicated.
3.47
FIGURE 3-11
DISTRIBUTION t)F
SITES NEEDING
EHABILITATION
F
f d.. •
S �
aer
E j z
gg �
AREAS WITH % OF LOW/MODERATE Q INCOME FAMILES EQUAL TO OR
#` GREATER THAN CITYWIDE AVERAGE
- (37%) Source: Census Bureau
PARK SITES NEEDING REHABILITATION
3.48
Types of Facilities Needing Rehabilitation
A further recovery concern addresses not only the condition
but also the desirability of facilities and sites in the public
recreation system. The Head Start Program operating in the south
part of the city uses Liberia Park for recreation activities;
it was found that the metal facilities there were unappealing to
the children to such an extent that the children were bused
several miles to the creative playground at the Athletic Complex
in the West End for recreation. This points to the need for
facilities to be attractive as well as safe, inviting as well as
carefully maintained. Not only point and spot repairs of metal
playground equipment are needed, but also more inviting contemporary
equipment and materials design (such as more popular wooden equip-
ment and wood-chip covered play areas) ; design, layout, and materials
are important components of park system recovery.
With the exceptions of recently constructed playground facilities,
such as the Athletic Complex creative playground and recently rehabili-
tated playgrounds in CDBG Neighborhood Strategy Areas, playgrounds
in most parks are in need of rehabilitation. Similarly, outdoor
hard-surface courts at most sites need rehabilitation or replacement,
the most noteable exceptions being several courts recently improved
with CDBG and UPARR funds.
Community centers at Alice Keith, Central , and Tyrrell Parks
are in need of extensive rehabilitation. A former horse stable at
Tyrrell Park is a candidate for rehabilitation and adaptive reuse,
provided that a suitable use can be found and survey of the facility' s
3.49
structural condition indicate that it be economically saved.
Swimming pools are one of the most glaring deficiencies of
the park system. Magnolia Pool was replaced with a new pool
in 1982. Liberia Pool was torn down in 1980. Alice Keith Pool
will continue in operation for at least one more year. This
leaves the City with only two public pools, one of which was built
in the 1930s. -. s>_ .._err.. s,.,,;----•4........+ _ - . _ r r-- y?ely
ALICE UITH PIAH --7177'
V MU
R.
3.50
VALUE OF REHABILITATION OVER REPLACEMENT
The advisability of building or developing new facilities
varies with geographic location, age of facility, and extent of
deterioration. Development of new parks in older fully developed
neighborhoods is generally not feasible due to the lack of appro-
priate vacant sites. (Exceptions are the "adaptive reuse" poten-
tial of some public school sites and development of "mini-parks"
where warranted by need and population density. ) The most prom-
ising approach to improving recreational opportunities in these
built-up areas involves the rehabilitation of existing parks.
This rehabilitation encumpasses replacement of obsolete or Beverly
deteriorated equipment structural rehabilitation of acticity build-
ings and shelters, upgrading of hard-surface play areas, repair of
damaged sidewalks and wading pool aprons, and replacement of
deteriorated, substandard swimming pools. Table 3.9 lists some
of the most common physical problems with Beaumont's park facili-
ties and some possible responses to these problems. The "preferred"
solutions listed in the table are the solutions considered most
desirable by the City Parks and Planning staffs, while the "possible
alternatives" are solutions which are considered worthy of con-
sideration if the use of a preferred solution is economically or
technically impossible.
3.51
TABLE 3-9
OPTIONS: REHABILITATION VS. REPLACEMENT
PROBLEM PREFERRED SOLUTION POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES
Substandard Swimming o Replacement with junior olympic o Joint use of YMCA & Lamar University facilities
Pools (Rehabilitation pool and bathhouse o Transportation if disadvantaged children from
not feasible) areas not served by pools, to pools
o Upgrade wading pools in areas not served by
swimming pools.
Substandard Playgrounds o Replace play equipment with con- o Continued intensive annual maintenance of play
(Antiquated equipment, temporary units, replace dirt equipment.
poor play surface) asphalt play surfaces with pea-
gravel , wood-chips, or sand.
Substandard Hard-Surface o Overlay asphalt courts with con- o Repair damaged surface material , replace damaged
Courts crete foundation with slab, or missing basketball goals
install prefabricated, pavillion
type cover
W
Deteriorated Community o Rehabilitate if possible, other- o Encourage joint-use of school facilities
Centers wise install prefabricated
building
Damaged Sidewalks o Replacement or repair o Removal (if dangerous)
(depending upon condition) as o Repair (if feasible)
part of a neighborhood side-
walk improvement program.
Substandard Shelters o Replacement or repair, depending o Removal , if dangerous
upon condition
RECREATION SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES
A variety of recreation services are provided by the City
of Beaumont and other public and private entities. This discussion
is divided into two parts: (1) an inventory of services and
activities and (2) an enumeration of service deficiencies in terms
of services that are not available and user groups that are not
served.
Inventory
Sports and Athletics
The City of Beaumont's Parks and Recreation Department provides
organized softball , basketball , volleyball , football and, until
recently, track and field programs. Soccer leagues utilize City
facilities for league play and tournaments.
There are male, female and co-ed softball leagues; church
leagues; and a men's fast pitch league. Age groups served are 16
and over. Over 2000 games were played during the last
season.
There are 40 basketball teams grouped in 5 divisions. 240
games were played last season.
The volleyball program is operated in cooperation with three
Baptist chur&-s which make their gymnasiums available for league
play. Most participants are over 16 years of age.
In cooperation with the Junior Cardinal Football program, the
City of Beaumont provides facilities for an 8-team football league
for boys aged 9 through 12. Approximately 30 games per year are
played.
3.53
A track and field program operated until last year provided
professional instruction and supervision for children 8 to 16
years of age. Three track meets were held in 1981. Track and
field activities for children are also provided during the summer
as part of the playground program.
Tennis lessons for all ages are conducted in two five-week
sessions. Four tournaments were held last season. The City also
provides facilities for school tournaments and tournaments organized
by clubs and private companies.
Several non-profit private soccer leagues offer instruction
and league play to both sexes and all age groups. Babe Zaharias
park has been developed as a major soccer facility for practice,
team play, and tournaments.
In addition to the above sports programs, there are a wide
variety of programs sponsored by churches, schools, the YMCA,
little leagues, and other organizations. Generally, the City
provides large-scale athletic programs for adults and older teen-
agers; the City is much less involved in providing services already
available from public schools, little leagues, and other similar
providers.
Swimming
The City is only one of several major providers of swimming
activities and facilities. The City has two outdoor swimming pools
and both are available during the late spring and summer. The City
does not provide swimming lessons. All age groups may use the
pools although most users are aged 6 to 17. One pool is "barrier
free. "
3.54
The YMCA provides a more comprehensive swimming program.
The "Y" operates pools with supervised activities and instruction
at two YMCA branches and at Magnolia Park under a cooperative
arrangement with the City.
Other providers of swimming activities and services are the
Knights of Columbus and Lamar University.
Playground Program
During the summer months, the City operates a supervised
playground program at 11 sites throughout the city. Activities
vary according to the age and interest of the children participating.
Some activities provided in the past include active and passive
games; arts and crafts; dramatics; track meets; and hula-hoop and
frisbee contests. Total cumulative attendance was 36,400 in 1981.
Most participants were aged 6 to 12.
A new addition to the playground program for 1982 was a
specialized two-week series of activities for physically handicapped
children. The program will be operated for three weeks in 1983
and it is hoped that if interest continues to grow the program
will be eventually expanded for operation during the entire summer.
Nature Programs
The City does not provide organized nature programs, although
other groups, such as schools, scouts, churches and private organiza-
tions, use nature trails at Tyrrell Park and the Municipal Athletic
Complex. A third nature trail is available at a wooded tract owned
by the Nature Conservancy, a National conservation group.
An excellent group of instructional and interpretive nature
programs are available immediately north of Beaumont in the Big
3.55
Thicket National Reserve. In addition to on-going National Park
Service programs and services, Lamar University, the Big Thicket
Association and other organizations occasionally conduct nature
study outings.
Community Center Programs
The City operates recreation programs at general purpose
community centers in most areas of Beaumont. Programs for the
elderly are provided at the specialized Best Years Center. Major
active recreation services for the general population include
slimnastics, jazzercize, ballet, tumbling, jazz dancing, aerobics
and twirling. Passive activities include arts, crafts, and macrame.
This year cake decorating, guitar lessons and photography will be
added. Total attendance at the seven general purpose community
centers was 11,695 in 1981 (not including use by private groups on
a reservation basis) .
The Best Years Center provides two major programs for the
elderly. A City-operated program serves people who are elderly
but reasonably mobile and active while a second Federally-funded
program, also located at the Best Years Center, provides services
and activities for the elderly with mobility or mental impairment.
The City-operated program includes bridge, lunches, crafts,
table games, field trips, exercise, dance, music, and organizational
meetings. The program participants operate a gift shop which
produces revenues by selling arts and crafts.
Music, Drama and Fine Arts
A City Children's Theatre program held during the summer enables
3.56
children to participate in all phases of theatrical production,
including acting, set design, costumes, and direction. The Parks
Department's Showmobile is used from 150 to 200 times per year
by the City, the Beaumont Symphony, the Jazz Society, several
schools, and many other private organizations.
Cultural entertainment will be provided on a frequent basis
at the recently completed Riverfront Park. Public performances
by the Lamar University Brass Quintet and the Pittsburgh Wind
Symphony were held in the early weeks of the park's operation.
The park will continue to be used for major public cultural
activities, festivals and performances.
Special Proqrams for the Elderly, Handicapped, and Minorities
The Best Years Center, operated by the Parks and Recreation
Department, provides organized and unstructured activities for elderly.
Meals, board games, exercise, music, dancing and organizational
meetings are among the items featured in the Best Years Program.
A second Federally funded program is also located in the Center.
This program is targetted to elderly persons with mental or mobility
impairments.
The City Parks and Recreation Department has begun an experi-
mental playground program for physically handicapped children.
Last year it provided two weeks of supervised playground activities.
The program will be expanded to three or four weeks in the summer
of 1983 and may be expanded to include the entire summer in the
future if interest is high enough. Other recreation programs for
the handicapped are provided by several social service agencies.
3.57
MAYOR
WILLIAM E. (BILL) NEILD
CITY COUNCIL
WARD I - BILL COX
WARD II - EVELYN LORD
WARD III - JOE DESHOTEL
WARD IV - G. WAYNE TURNER
PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE
DR. BRUCE DRURY, CHAIRMAN
HOWARD CLOSE
FLOYD DIXON
KATY LANE DUFF
JACK GREER
CLIFFORD HARDEMAN
E. A. LaBAUVE
ED MOORE
LARRY PORTER
CLYDE VINCENT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART 1: ASSESSMENT
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1. 1
CHAPTER 2 CONTEXT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.1
Geographic Location. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.2
Natural Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.2
Population Size and Trends. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.4
Socio-Economic Characteristics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.6
Economic Conditions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.12
Form of Government. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2. 13
Position of Parks Department in City
Government. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2. 13
How Planning for Park and Recreation
Services is Achieved. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2. 14
Relationship of Recreation Planning
with Comprehensive Planning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.15
Numbers and Types of Persons Served. . . . . . . . . . . .2.16
Review of Services Provided. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.17
Accessibility of the System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.17
Recent and Proposed Changes in the
System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.28
Description of Current City Functions
Associated with Parks and Recreation. . . . . . . . . . .2.29
Approaches Used for Citizen Involvement. . . . . . . .2.32
Public Input into the RAP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.34
CHAPTER 3 INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3. 1
Physical Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3. 1
Park Site Deficiencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.11
Locational Deficiencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.15
Facility Deficiencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.16
Service Area Deficiencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3. 16
Future Park Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3. 18
Recreation Facilities and Equipment. . . . . . . ... . . .3.20
Special Facilities for the Elderly and
Handicapped. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.24
Facilities with Historical or Archi-
tectural Significance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.25
Other Sources of Recreational
Opportunities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.26
Factors Affecting Demand for Parks and
Recreational Facilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.30
Inventory of Natural Areas and Areas of
Special Environmental Interest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.38
Rehabilitation Needs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.47
Value of Rehabilitation Over Replacement. . . . . . .3.51
Recreation Services and Activities. . . . . . . . . . . . .3.53
Service Inventory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.53
Special Programs for Elderly, Handi-
capped and Minorities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.57
Other Recreation Providers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.58
Service Deficiencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.61
Coordination with Other Jurisdictions. . . . . . . . . .3.62
Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.64
Budgetting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.67
CHAPTER 4 ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.1
Issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.2
Conclusions and Implications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.10
PART 2: ACTION PLAN
CHAPTER 5 ACTION PLAN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.1
Goals for the System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5. 1
Strategies to Address National and
Local Concerns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.3
Recommendations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.5
Long-Range Physical Development Plan. . . . . . . . . . .5.5
Alternatives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.5
Preferred Alternatives (Recommendations) . . . . . . .5..8
Program Priorities and Implementation
Schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.14
Evaluation and Updating of the Action
Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.16
APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1 Neighborhood Survey: Recreation Section
APPENDIX 2 1982 Annual Report on Park Plan
APPENDIX 3 Excerpts from Gifts Catalog (now in
progress)
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE # PAGE
2-1 Beaumont and South East Texas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.3
2-2 Geographic Distribution of Black Population. . . . . .2.9
2-3 Population Distribution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.11
3-1 Existing Parks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.2
3-2 Neighborhood Park Service Areas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3. 13
3-3 Community Park Service Areas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.14
3-4 Service Area Deficiencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3. 17
3-5 School Sites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.27
3-6 Persons Under 18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.33
3-7 Persons 65 or Over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.34
3-8 Income Distribution: Poverty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.39
3-9 Residential Density. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.40
3-10 Areas of Special Environmental Interests. . . . . . . . .3.42
3-11 Distribution of Sites Needing Rehabilitation. . . . .3.48
5-1 Development Plan (Policies and Proposals
Diagram). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E.6
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE # PAGE
2-1 Population Trends. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.7
2-2 Recreation Facilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.18
2-3 Recreation Programs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.19
3-1 Parks and Facilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.3
3-2 Park Site Deficiencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.12
3-3 Projected Park Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.19
3-4 Complete Listing of Facilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.21
3-5 Recreational Facility Deficiencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.22
3-6 Projected Need for Recreational Facilities. . . . . . .3.23
3-7 School Sites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.28
3-8 Population Forecast by Age. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.32
3-9 Options: Rehabilitation vs. Replacement. . . . . . . . .3.52
3-10 Organizations Cooperating with the Parks
and Recreation Department. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.60a
3-11 Parks and Recreation Department Personnel . . . . . . . .3.65
3-12 Parks and Recreation Department Budgets:
1981-1983. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.68
5-1 Action Plan Summary (Relationship of
Issues, Implications, Goals, Objectives,
and Recommendations) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.2
5-2 Alternatives Considered in Forumlating
Recommendations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.7
5-3 Program Priorities and Implementation
Schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.15
PART 1 :
ESS RENT
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
During the past two years, the City of Beaumont has substantially
increased its committment to improving the quality of its park and
recreation services and facilities. The level of governmental financial
support for the park and recreation program has been increased, public
interest and support of park and recreation improvements has noticably
intensified, and a comprehensive plan for long-range development and
rehabilitation of the park system has been prepared by the City staff and
adopted by the City Council .
Participation in the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Program (UPARR)
is seen as a potential means of translating the City's committment to park
system recovery into tangible improvements in the quality and availability
of recreational opportunities provided to Beaumont's neighborhoods . Any
meaningful effort to revitalize the existing park and recreation system
will require hard decisions to be made as to where and how the limited
resources available for rehabilitation can be utilized with the greatest
impact.
The Recovery Action Plan is Beaumont's response to the need for a process
for coordinating the efforts of the public, private, and volunteer sectors
to improve recreational opportunities for the city's residents. The RAP
addresses critical recreation issues which must be confronted within the
next few years and proposes policies and strategies for resolving these
issues. Emphasis is placed upon policies and strategies which favor
conservation and renovation over new construction, coordination over
1. 1
fragmentation and innovation over massive capital expenditures .
The RAP is divided into two sections. Section I, the Assessment, provides
a description of the social , geographic, political and fiscal context of
the recreation system and an inventory and analysis of physical , service,
and management concerns. The Assessment concludes with a summary of major
issues and opportunities facing the City and others interested in improving
the prospects for improving the public's access to recreational facilities
and services. Section II, the Action Plan, presents a plan consisting
goals, objectives, policies, and strategies for improving the park system
at reasonable cost in a reasonably short period of time.
1.2
CHAPTER 2
CONTEXT
In order to plan effectively for recreation, the specific character-
istics, problems and needs of local park and recreation systems must
be viewed in the broad context of the social , economic, environmental
and political forces which influence the public's demand for recreational
facilities and services and the City's ability to meet these demands.
If all communities exhibited the same socio/economic characteristics
and were subject to identical political , fiscal and environmental con-
straints, the process of planning for the revitalization of municipal
recreation systems could be standardized and a single set of goals,
strategies and implementation techniques could be applied to all cities,
regardless of their size, geographic location, economic base or demo-
graphic character. In reality, however, American cities, counties
and regions differ widely with respect to their resources, problems
and characteristics. For this reason, each city's recreational prob-
lems, needs and capability for improvement are shaped by a unique matrix
of variables. It follows, then, that a unique body of goals, strategies
and implementation measures must be formulated to meet the unique needs
of each city. The purpose of this chapter is to describe the unique
local factors which have shaped Peaumont's recreational service delivery
system and which will establish the context for the City's future re-
creation system improvement effort.
2. 1
INTRODUCTION TO BEAUMONT
Geographic Location
Beaumont is located in the southeastern corner of Texas, 28
miles from the Louisiana border, 25 miles north of the Gulf of r1exico
and 80 miles east of Houston. Beaumont is the largest city in the
Southeast Texas Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SIIISA) , which
consists of Jefferson, Orange and Hardin Counties. Other major
population centers in the SMSA are Port Arthur and Orange. Figure
2. 1 illustrates Beaumont's geographic location.
Natural Environment
Beaumont's climate is generally temperate, with an average
January minimum low temperature of 440F and an average July maximum
high temperature of 9I0F. Average annual rainfall is 53.09 inches.
Rainfalls of 5 to 10 inches within a few hours are not uncommon.
There are persistent southeasterly winds from March through November
and strong northerly winds from December through February.
Beaumont is bordered on the east by the Neches River and on the
north by Pine Island Bayou. Both streams are tidally influenced
and subject to salt water intrusion. Mater quality in the Neches
is poor due to numerous industrial effluent outfalls; however, substan-
tial improvements have been made in the quality of the river's water
since the early seventies when the tidal segment of the Neches was
rated as the second worst stream in Texas. Much of the Neches is
flanked by wetlands which are part of an extensive wetland system
2.2
FIGURE 2-1
Beaumont South East Texas
...� co -
I L
wolf Nw.a r-.
row..ri , y
wolf ew
--, SEA MO
w
q .wle0/
dQ
lV \` Q �11 •air
FI r.
I
2.3
extending northward from the Gulf of Mexico.
The Pine Island Bayou corridor and some of its associated wet-
lands are a portion of the Big Thicket, a unique biological cross-
roads characterized by an astounding diversity of plant and animal
species. Selected portions of the Thicket are being acquired by
the Department of Interior for inclusion in the BiQ Thicket National
Preserve.
Population Size and Trends
Beaumont was chartered by the Republic of Texas in 1838. In
1850, the first year for which Census data is available , the city's
population was 151 persons. By the turn of the century, due largely
to a thriving timber industry, Beaumont had over 9,000 residents.
The Spindletop oil boom of 1901 brought Beaumont (and the
United States) into a new age of industrialization. The city's
population had grown to over 20,000 by 1910. With Spindletop, a period
of sustained growth had begun which lasted into the 1960s. Except for
a lag during the Great Depression, Beaumont continued to grow more
rapidly than both Texas and the United States . By 1960, the city
had 119,175 inhabitants , more than double the 1940 population.
Given Beaumont' s history of growth, it came as a shock to many
in the community when the final 1970 Census count showed a population
loss of some 1,600 persons. Several factors were responsible for this
decline. During the sixties, the rapid post-war expansion of petro-
chemical and refinery employment "leveled off" in the Southeast Texas
area, due in part to an increased reliance upon automation of refining
2.4
and chemical manufacturing processes. Expansion of employment in
other sectors of the economy was not substantial enough to offset
the slow-down in refinery and chemical plant job growth, and, as a
result, a large portion of the young working-age population moved
to Houston and other cities in search of employment opportunities.
A second major cause of the loss of population during the 1960's
was a shift in population to suburbs. Beaumont, Port Arthur and
Orange all experienced population losses during the 1960s, while
suburban communities such as Lumberton, Vidor and Nederland continued
to grow.
A third reason for Beaumont's population lag is closely related
to the above mentioned suburbanization trend. Some of the population
increases shown in past Censuses were partial results of annexations.
Between the 1960 and 1970 Census counts no annexations occurred.
Annexations of populated areas within the city' s extraterritorial
jurisdiction, which includes portions of Jefferson , Hardin and Orange
Counties, could have offset the loss of 1,627 residents reflected
in the 1970 Census.
The growth lag experienced by Beaumont in the 1960s has apparently
been reversed. The 1980 Census indicates that Beaumont' s population
increased from 117,548 in 1970 to 118,102 in 1980. Examination of
Census Bureau estimates prepared for the Federal Revenue Sharing
Program indicate that, after the 1970 Census, Beaumont's population
declined to 113,367 in 1973. Therefore, although the 1980 figure
represents an increase of only 0.50% over the ten years between 1970
and 1980, the annual rate of increase from 1973 to 1980 was 0.63%.
Continued population qrowth will be dependent upon future economic
expansion-.
2.5
Table 2-1 shows Beaumont's population figures from 1850
to 1980. During the past few years , three alternate population
projections have been used for planning purposes. These are referred
to as "high" , "mid-range" and "low" projections and are tied to
various alternate scenarios for future economic growth. The high,
mid-range and low projections for the year 2000 are 164,000, 150,240
and 135,900 persons , respectively. After full analysis of 1980 Census
figures, it is possible that these projections will be revised downward.
Socio-Economic Characteristics of the Population
While the total size of the population is an essential considera-
tion in the planning process , it is also necessary to consider the demo-
graphic and economic characteristics of the population being planned
for. Income, education, age-group structure, ethnic/racial composition;
and household composition trends were among the Socio-economic character-
istics examined during formulation of the Recovery Action Program.
Family Income
According to the 1970 Census, the median income for Beaumont
families in 1969 was $8,925, slightly lower than the median income
for the Beaumont/Port Arthur/Orange SMSA, which was 59,136. Median
family income for the State of Texas was reported as $8,514. By 1979,
the median family income for Beaumont had .risen to *2,0,906.
Per Capita Income
In 1969, Beaumont's per capita income ,ras reported by the Census
Bureau to be 52,887. The Census Bureau estimates that this figure
had risen to $6,295 by 1977.
2.6
TABLE 2-1
POPULATION TRENDS
YEAR POPULATION
1850 151
1890 3,296
1900 9,427
1910 20,640
1920 40,422
1930 57,732
1940 59,061
1950 94,014
1960 119,175
1970 117,548
1980 118,102
SOURCE: U.S. Census of Population
2.7
Income Below Poverty Level
The 1980 Census reported that 3,758 families in Beaumont had
incomes below poverty level . This represented 12.07 percent of all
families.
Education
According to the 1970 Census, 47.7°0 of all Beaumont residents
25 years of age or older had completed four years of college, while
20. 1°0 had completed fewer than eight years of schooling.
Ethnic/Racial Groups
In 198O,36I63y of all Beaumont residents counted by the Census
were Black, while ;3.450%were persons of Spanish surname. Figure 2_2 shows
distribution of blacks by census tract.
There are several ethnic groups in Beaumont and Southeast Texas
which have made substantial contributions to the unique cultural
character of the area, including Italians, Greeks, and French
Acadians ("cajuns") .
One new factor in the ethnic composition of Beaumont is the
resettlement of South Vietnamese in the city. Several hundred Vietnamese
have moved to Beaumont in recent years, and several hundred more live
in nearby Port Arthur, further enhancing the rich diversity of cultural
heritages in the Beaumont area.
Household Size
For at least the past 20 years , household sizes in Beaumont,
as well as the nation , have been decreasing. Declining birth rates
and increasing numbers of one-person households , elderly households ,
multi-family housing units and one-parent families are among the
2.8
FIGURE 2-2
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
F BLACK POPULATION
1980
1.02
G
1.01
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r
r
V
J
W
Q
TAT HWY.
2 i 2
STATE 103
to
F7
3.01 -
s
CORPORATE
LIMITS
_ 5
s
9
t
DELAWARE
A
OE
L f 9
2
m
p
W
q'
3.02
GLADYS
IN
T
ER
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e%l43?>3°:fit::
3.03 cal0£R _
i
CALDER 12
3.04 13.01
COL
_
13.0 2
LNYA CANAL 3
3 0
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S
9
Yd .
7
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::::.......
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a
13.03
W
BLACK POPULATION BY CENSUS TRACT
76-100%
CORPORATE
LIMITS
E3 51-75%
EM 26-50%
U 0-25%
CITY AVERAGE: 36.63%
2.9
causes of this household size decline.
Beaumont' s average household size was 3.29 persons in 1960
accordina to the United States Census; in 1970 this figure dropped
to 3.07 persons, and in 1977 Beaumont' s average household size was
estimated to be 2.75 persons. Current Census figures indicate
that the 1980 average household size is 2.66 persons.
Age Group Composition
Changes in the relative size of each age group of the population
are significant because different age groups are characterized by
different recreational needs. Examination of 1960 and 1970 Census
figures indicates that the largest percentage increases in age groups
were in the 15 to 24, 55 to 64, and 65 and over age groups (31%,
130/10 and 31 0110 respectively) . The largest declines were experienced
in the under 5, 25 to 34, and 35 to 44 age groups (33 0o, 19% and 17;
" respectively) .
These figures illustrate two significant trends that were occurring
in Beaumont during the sixties: an "aging" of the population, which
was simultaneously occurring throughout the nation, and an out-
migration of working-age people, which was tied to local economic
conditions.
Population Distribution
Figure 2-3 graphically illustrates Beaumont's 1980 population
distribution. Population densities are highest in the older, lower income
areas of east Beaumont.
2. 10
::�3� e' 1, �'.' nr•, �.'.
i\� ♦\v:_.•���i'_`.'9T''dal
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a:L• -� q/ 7 irrr..._ ti1 •r.+'i�•.t.'i�e
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low
NIN
•-•rte_'-.'•�If-;;� :.�-ml�lr��...:�; °,::+��"'° , ■l�.�JI��;;•; �~:7I+""
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�� rte: ..._�_ :::•:..,,.r.`•'�i'r:`iR7C���
-C-ssl':acis�t•ti ;IL...►t
Economic Conditions
Recent Employment Trends
Employment levels in Beaumont and the SP1SA have been increasing
since 1970. In 1970 the Census reported 45,052 Beaumont residents
were employed.
Employment for 1976 averaged 50,746 persons; in 1977 employment
averaged 52,468. This represents an average annual rate of increase
of 2.2 percent since 1980 -- much higher than the annual average
population growth rate. This relationship bet;veen job growth and
population growth indicates that a larger proportion of the population
is entering the labor force than in previous years. SMSA employment
has exhibited a similar increase.
Unemployment
The percentage of Beaumonters. unemployed has risen sharply since
1970. At the time of the Census, 4.2 percent of Beaumont' s labor
force was unemployed. Unemployment averaged 7.8 percent in 1976 and
7.3 percent in 1977. This is considerably higher than the 1977 state-
wide average unemployment rate of 5.3 percent, but is relatively
close to the 1977 national average of 7.0 percent. In 1982, unemployment
increased sharply due to declining demand for petroleum and related products.
In early 1983, Bdaumont's unemployment rate had reached 12.6%.
The Need for Economic Diversification
With such a large segment of Beaumont' s employment being
2. 12
directly or indirectly related to the petrochemical, petroleum
refining, and shipbuilding industries, there is an ever-present
possibility of our economy being adversely affected by fluctuations
in these industries. Many theorists fear that the refining and
petrochemical industries may enter a permanent decline after the
year 2000 because of shortages of raw materials. Currently, these
industries are seriously depressed. This has resulted in declines
in other sectors of the economy, such as retailing, housing and services.
Housing Types
A housing survey conducted by the Beaumont Planning Department
in 1978 found that 79°0 of the City's housing stock was accounted
for by single-family detached units, while 21% of the total number
of units were attached two-family or multi-family units.
Form of Government
Beaumont operates under a manager/council form of government.
Although the Council members each represent a separate district, they
are elected at-large, as is the Mayor. The Council and Mayor are
"non-partisan in that they are not officially tied to any political
party.
Position of Parks and Recreation
Department in City Government
The Parks and Recreation Department has full status as a separate
City department. The Parks and Recreation Director reports to the
City Manager and is also provided with assistance in policy formulation
by a nine-member citizen's advisory committee.
2. 13
How Planning for Park and Recreation
Services is Achieved
While most physical planning for the park system is done by
the Planning Department, planning for parks and recreation services
is done by the Director of Parks and Recreation and his administra-
tive staff. The City's Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee
provides guidance to the Parks and Recreation staff in planning
for recreation services. The Parks staff monitors use of facili-
ties and services on a continuous basis and provides a written
annual report on usership. Demand for services is ascertained in
three ways: (1) analysis of trends in usership; (2) direct
requests from the public for services (these requests are sometimes
conveyed to the department through Parks Committee and City Council
members) ; (3) analysis of population characteristics of neighborhoods
to determine service needs. The Planning Department assists with
demographic data. When the need for additional services results
in the need for additional physical facilities, the Planninq Depart-
ment often becomes involved in project planning and financing.
The Parks Department also participates in occasional needs
assessments and facility inventories prepared by the Texas Parks
and Wildlife Department. Data derived in these studies can be
used to determine the relationship of the supply and demand of
recreational opportunities.
2.14
Relationship of Recreation
Planning with Comprehensive Planning
Beaumont' s last comprehensive plan was produced in 1960. While
the plan was never officially adopted, it has influenced land use and
1
transportation policies to a significant extent. A new comprehensive
plan is now in preparation.
In order to insure that the plan remains relevant to park and
recreation issues, the plan will be reviewed on an annual basis and,
if necessary, revised to reflect changing conditions.
The Planning Department is responsible for coordinating the
comprehensive park planning process and producing reports documenting
the planning and policy formulation processes. A considerable
amount of technical assistance is provided by the Parks and Recreation
Department. The Planning Department seeks input on issues, goals,
objectives, policies and proposals from the City Council , Planning
Commission, Parks and Recreation Committee, Community Development
Block Grant Citizen Advisory Committee and the Goals for Beaumont
citizen's planning group. These groups also provide forums for
citizen participation activities.
OVERVIE14 OF THE PARK AND RECREATION SYSTEM
This section provides summary information concerning Beaumont' s
park and recreation system. Major topics of discussion include (1) the
numbers and types of persons served, (2) a brief review of services
provided, (3) an assessment of the system' s accessibility in relation
2.15
to its intended users, and (4) recent and proposed changes in the
system. j
i
Numbers and Types of Persons Served
The City park system is the primary provider of recreational
facilities and programs for the 120,000 residents of Beaumont and
t
for many residents of surrounding smaller communities and unincorporated
d
areas. In 1981 attendance at City parks or recreational facilities
was estimated at 2,092,177.
F
i
The types of persons served by the system varies according to 8
i
geographic location. As shown by Figure:.2.2 earlier in this
i
chapter, low-income and minority populations are concentrated in
the older, eastern section of the city. This portion of the city
f
also has a high proportion of elderly citizens. In parks in the more g
4
recently developed western and northwestern portions of the city,
the user population is generally more affluent. There are smaller
concentrations of minorities and relatively lower proportions of
elderly users.
kt
F
There are a few basic exceptions to the relationship of user j
i
characteristics to the geographic locations of parks, however. Several
major facilities, including Tyrrell Park, the Municipal Athletic Center,
f
and Babe Didrikson Zaharias Park and the Best Years Center, have city-
wide service areas. The user populations of these facilities are
determined more by the specialized services and facilities offered
s
rather than by geographic location. The Best Years Center, as an
r
itt
11
f
2.16
example, serves an elderly user population because of the specialized
facilities and programs offered there for elderly people. The
Zaharias Park is located in a low income area, but, since it is
in the location of several soccer fields used for league play,
serves school children from many affluent neighborhoods.
Review of Services Provided
Tables 2. 2 and 2. 3 provide brief summaries of the major facilities
and services provided by the City park and recreation system. Recre-
ational opportunities provided through the City park system can be
divided into two broad categories: structured and unstructured
recreational services. Structured services include the City's
organized recreational programs such as slimnastics , crafts , and
sports leagues. Unstructured services consist of the unsupervised
use of City parks and recreational facilities such as playgrounds,
picnic tables and sports fields by individuals, families and groups.
Accessibility of the System
To evaluate the issue of accessibility to services and facilities,
an understanding of the heirarchial arrangement of the City's park
system is necessary. The City's park system is divided into five
different classifications of park sites, each with its own standards
for size, facilities , design, service area and function. Regional
parks serve the entire city; community parks serve clusters of three
to seven neighborhoods; neighborhood parks serve residential areas
approximately one square mile in area, and mini-parks serve approxi-
2.17
TABLE 2-2
RECREATION FACILITIES
3 ART MUSEUMS 69 PARK BENCHES
1 BADMINTON & VOLLEYBALL COURTS 183 PICNIC UNITS
71 BARBECUE UNITS 2 PICNIC UNITS FOR THE HANDICAPPED
3 BASEBALL DIAMONDS 1 PLATFORM TRAILER
27 BASKETBALL GOALS 33 RESTROOMS
2 BASKETBALL GOALS FOR THE 1 SENIOR CITIZEN CENTER
HANDICAPPED 9 SHELTERS
56 BLEACHERS - 5 TIER 1 SNOWMOBILE
7 COMMUNITY CENTERS 5 SIDEWALKS FOR THE HANDICAPPED
3 CONCESSION STANDS WITH SCORE- 9 SOCCER FIELDS
BOXES 17 SOFTBALL BACKSTOPS
1 CREATIVE PLAY AREA 9 SOFTBALL FIELDS (LIGHTED)
55 DRINKING FOUNTAINS 2 SWIMMING POOLS
3 FISH PONDS 1 TENNIS CENTER
2 FOOTBALL FIELDS 34 TENNIS COURTS (22 LIGHTED)
1 GARDEN CENTER 3 TENNIS REBOUND BOARDS
1 GAZEBO SHELTER 8 TOOL SHEDS
1 GOLF COURSE (18 HOLES) 2 TRAILER PARK AREAS (174 HOOKUPS)
12 HARD SURFACED AREAS 235 UNITS OF PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT
8 HARD SURFACED AREAS (MULTI- 16 WADING POOLS
PURPOSE, COVERED, LIGHTED)
2 PADDLEBALL COURTS
IN ADDITION TO THE 966.27 ACRES, THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT
MAINTAINS A NUMBER OF TRIANGLES, ALL ESPLANADES, THE PARK-ORLEANS
STREET UNDERPASS, COLLEGE STREET UNDERPASS, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
PISTOL RANGE, ALL BOULEVARDS,THE POLICE STATION, LIBRARY AND CITY
HALL.
2.18
TABLE 2.3 ( Ist of 6 pages)
RECREATION PROGRAMS
1981
SOFTBALL
May 4th kicked off the 1981 summer softball program, one hundred ninety-four (194) ,
registered in sixteen (16) divisions. A new division was added (Co-Ed) with success.
1,358 games were scheduled.
Winter softball registered one hundred fifteen (115) teams, playing a 690 game
schedule.
SUMMER SOFTBALL TEA11S WINTER SOFTBALL TEAMS
SLOW PITCH CHURCH 36 SLOW PITCH CHURCH 16
SLOW PITCH OPEN 112 SLOW PITCH OPEN 78
SLOW PITCH WOMEN 35 SLOW PITCH WOMEN 21
SLOW PITCH CO-ED 6 TOTAL 115
FAST PITCH MEN 5
TOTAL 194
GAMES PLAYED - 1,350 GAMES PLAYED - 690
PARTICIPATION — 36,450 PARTICIPATION - 20,010
SPECTATORS - 67,500 SPECTATORS - 17,250
SPECIAL EVENTS
PARTICIPATION SPECTATORS
WEEKEND TOURNAMENTS - 38,430 96,075
OPEN PLAY AND PRACTICE - 18,875
TOTAL PARTICIPATION = 113,765 TOTAL SPECTATORS = 180,825
SOFTBALL GRAND TOTAL = 294,590
BASKETBALL
The 1980-81 Basketball Leagues opened on December 1, 1980, with
40 teams in 5 divisions. 231 games were played; 5,775 participants,
and 9,240 spectators.
Region I T.A.A.F. Church Tournament was held with 9 teams participating,
8 games were played - participants - 200 and spectators, 320.
PARTICIPATION AND SPECTATORS = 15,535
2.19 (Continued)
VOLLEYBALL
21 teams in 3 divisions competed in Volleyball leagues - 265 games were
played in 106 matches, participation and spectators totaled 5,300.
All games were played in First Baptist, South Park Baptist and Westgate
Baptist gyms. Their cooperation is certainly appreciated.
TOTAL PARTICIPATION & SPECTATORS = 5,300
JR. CARDINAL FOOTBALL
Parks and Recreation Department cooperated with Jr. Cardinal Football program.
Football field was constructed at the Athletic Complex for this fine program.
8 teams participated in this well supervised activity for boys ages 9 through
12. 31 games were played - 1,550 participants and 2,325 spectators.
TOTAL PARTICIPATION & SPECTATORS = 3,875
CHILDREN'S THEATER
The summer Children's Theater production of "A Thing of Beauty" was presented
at three locations, Sprott Park, Alice Keith Parks, and Rogers Park.
Registration and tryouts were held the first week in June. Rehearsals and
presentations were on the Showmobile.
Set design, costumes and direction were held under Dr. Pat Harrigan's
supervision.
TOTAL PARTICIPATION & SPECTATORS = 407
TRACK AND FIELD
Track and Field instruction and supervision were under Thomas Harris, French
High track coach. Competitive meets were held at Lamar University track,
Region I T.A.A.F. in Pasadena and State Meet in E1 Paso. 2,856
TOTAL PARTICIPATION
SHOWYIOBILE
The Showriobile was used 163 times during 1981 - 3 cities and 20 organizations
are regular users of this equipment. Parks and Recreation Summer Theater
utilizes the Showmobile for their summer theater productions, both for practice
and productions. Other Regular users are: Beaumont Symphony, Jazz Society,
iMBL, Lamar University, Beaumont Heritage Association, French sigh School,
Best Years Center, French Museum and Beaumont Art Center.
2.20
(Continued)
TENNIS PROGRAM
TENNIS LESSONS FOR BEGINNERS AND INTERMEDIATES, CHILDREN AND ADULTS WERE
CONDUCTED IN TWO (2) FIVE WEEK SESSIONS.
FOUR TOURNAMENTS FOR JUNIORS, AND SENIORS WERE CONDUCTED WITH EXCELLENT
PARTICIPATION PLAY AND PLEASED SPECTATORS.
INSTRUCTION PARTICIPATION & SPECTATORS 2,166
TOURNAMENT PARTICIPATION & SPECTATORS 2,385*
4,551
MUNICIPAL TENNIS CENTER
THE MUNICIPAL TENNIS CENTER WITH EIGHT (8) LIGHTED COURTS, OPEN ON A TWELVE
(12) MONTH BASIS FOR FREE AND RESERVATION PLAY. IT ALSO SERVED AS HEADQUARTERS
FOR SUMMER PROGRAM AND TENNIS TOURNAMENTS. FACILITIES ALSO INCLUDE TWO (2) MINI
COURTS (UNLIGHTED) , REBOUND WALL, TWO (2) STROKING ALLEYS, PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTION
AS WELL AS A PRO SHOP.
THE MUNICIPAL TENNIS CENTER SERVED AS THE LOCALE FOR PRACTICALLY ALL HIGH SCHOOL
5A AND 4A, AND MIDDLE SCHOOL PLAY. THIS FACILITY HAS BECOME SITE OF A TENNIS
ACADEMY DEDICATED TO DEVELOPING PLAYERS TO RECREATION AND EXCELLENCE. IN
ADDITION TO THE CITY PROGRAM TOURNAMENTS, VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS AND PRIVATE
COMPANIES CONDUCTED TOURNAMENTS.
BEAUMONT NOW HOSTS FOUR (4) USTA SACTIONED TOURNAMENTS, INCLUDING JUNIORS AND
ONE MEN'S PRO TOURNEY.
ATTENDANCE 71,138
SWIMMING
TWO MUNICIPAL SWIMMING POOLS OPERATED FROM MAY 30 THROUGH AUGUST 30, 1981.
ALICE KEITH POOL 11,609
MAGNOLIA POOL 6,467
FREE SWIM 2,500
16 WADING POOLS
ESTIMATED ATTENDANCE 285,000
YMCA PROGRAM 1,740
(MAGNOLIA POOL)
TOTAL 307,316
*DENOTES TOTAL WAS USED ELSEWHERE.
BEAUMONT ART MUSEUM
TOTAL ATTENDANCE 64,320
2.21
(Continued)
BEST YEARS CENTER
THE BEAUMONT BEST YEARS CENTER IS A COMMUNITY MEETING AND ACTIVITIES CENTER FOR
PERSONS FIFTY YEARS AND OLDER. THE BEST YEARS CENTER IS AN ACTIVE SITE HOSTING
A VARIETY OF CLASSES MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT EACH
MONTH. IT ALSO SERVES AS A MEETING SITE FOR MANY SENIOR CITIZENS CLUBS AND
ORGANIZATIONS.
THE GOAL OF THE CENTER IS TO PROVIDE BOTH EDUCATIONAL AND RECREATIONAL EVENTS
AND TO SERVE AS A FOCAL POINT FOR SENIOR CITIZENS NEEDS, INTERESTS, INFORMATION
AND REFERRAL.
ATTENDANCE 28,285*
COMMUNITY CENTER BUILDINGS
THE COMMUNITY CENTER BUILDINGS ARE OPERATED ON A RESERVATION BASIS. THEY ARE
USED FOR MANY ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, INCLUDING A VARIETY OF PARKS AND
RECREATION SPONSORED COMMUNITY CENTER PROGRAMS. THERE ARE ALSO SEVERAL SENIOR
CITIZENS CLUBS USING THE CENTERS FOR MEETINGS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
BEST YEARS CENTER 28,285
CARROLL STREET PARK 55 RES. 3,184
CENTRAL PARK (10 month operation) 231 RES. 6,393
ALICE KEITH PARK 468 RES. 11,971
J. P. RICHARDSON 372 RES. 10,182
TYRRELL PARK 208 RES. 12,651
ROGERS PARK 840 RES. 10,251
SPROTT PARK 144 RES. 3,138
TOTAL 2,318 RES. 86,055
SPECIAL ACTIVITIES PROGRAM
TWELVE MONTH OPERATION
MR. LUKE JACKSON IS CONDUCTING A SPECIAL ACTIVITY PROGRAM ON A TWELVE MONTH BASIS.
THIS PROGRAM IS IN OPERATION IN THREE LOCATIONS, SPROTT PARK, LINCOLN SCHOOL, AND
CARROLL STREET PARK, TO PROVIDE A WIDE RANGE OF ACTIVITIES FROM BASKETBALL FUNDA-
MENTALS TO QUIET GAMES. MANY NEW ACTIVITIES ARE ADDED AS INTERESTS CHANGE.
SPROTT 10,078*
LINCOLN & CARROLL 6,620
TOTAL 16,698
* DENOTES TOTAL WAS USED ELSEWHERE.
2.22
(Continued)
ORGANIZED PLAYGROUND ACTIVITIES
PROGRAMS WERE CONDUCTED AT ELEVEN (11) LOCATIONS DURING THE SUMMER. HALF DAY
SESSIONS WERE PROGRAMMED AT TWO (2) PARKS. SCHOOL-PARK PROGRAMS PROVIDE A MORE
UNIFORM COVERAGE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
ACTIVITIES INCLUDED ACTIVE AND PASSIVE GAMES, ARTS AND CRAFTS, DRAMATICS, TRACK
MEETS, HULA HOOP AND FRISBEE CONTESTS.
CALDWOOD PARK (Afternoon only) 1,205
CARROLL STREET PARK 2,739
COMBEST PARK 1,195
COTTONWOOD PARK 5,778
LIBERIA PARK 2,837
LINCOLN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL (12 month) 6,620
MAGNOLIA PARK) 5,637 (combined total
PINE STREET PARK) Magnolia & Pine)
ROBERTS PARK 2,160
ROGERS PARK (Mornings only) 1,539
SPROTT PARK 6,691
TOTAL ATTENDANCE 36,401
COMMUNITY CENTER PROGRAMS
THE COMMUNITY CENTER PROGRAMS CONSISTED OF FIFTY (50) WEEKS OF SLIMNASTICS AT
ALICE KEITH, ROGERS, AND J P RICHARDSON CENTERS. THIRTY-FIVE (35) WEEKS OF
BALLET, DANCERCIZE, JAZZERCISE AND AEROBICS WERE HELD AT CENTRAL AND ROGERS
CENTERS.
EIGHTY-NINE (89) CLASSES REGISTERING 1,494 PEOPLE
IN ADDITION, THERE WERE TWO (2) SIX-WEEK SUMMER SESSIONS OF TUMBLING, JAZZ,
TWIRLING, MACRAME' AND CRAFTS. DANCE AND TUMBLING RECITALS WERE HELD AT THE
END OF EACH SESSION.
INSTRUCTORS
MARGARET AMES SLIMNASTICS
TERRY BROCATO SLIMNASTICS
TARA COCO ART
CLAUDIA DEBORAH SLIMNASTICS
ESTELLE ETIE SLIMNASTICS
LAURIE FULLER AEROBICS, TWIRLING
MARIANNE KONDO SLIMNASTICS, CRAFTS, MACRAME'
RHONDA KONDO SLIMNASTICS
LETTIE MUHLBAUER SLIMNASTICS
DEBBIE RICHMOND SLIMNASTICS
JENNIFER SOOY SLIMNASTICS
PAT SIMMONS BALLET, TUMBLING, DANCERCIZE,
ADULT BALLET, JAZZ
TOTAL ATTENDANCE 11,695*
* DENOTES TOTAL WAS USED ELSEWHEXE.
2.23 (Continued)
TYRRELL PARK
THIS PARK HAS MANY FUNCTIONS. FAMILIES USE THIS AREA FOR PICNIC AND FAMILY
REUNIONS. TYRRELL PARK HAS FIVE (5) OPEN AIR BUILDINGS AND A LARGE RECREATION
BUILDING. THESE FACILITIES HAVE PROVEN TO BE VERY SUITABLE FOR FAMILY TYPE
ACTIVITIES. OTHER ATTRACTIONS TO TYRRELL PARK INCLUDE THE GARDEN CENTER AREA,
AND EIGHTEEN (18) HOLE GOLF COURSE, AND TWO (2) TRAILER PARKS WHICH CAN ACCOMODATE
NINETY-FOUR (94) TRAILERS AT ONE TIME.
GOLF COURSE 55,000
BUILDINGS & STRUCTURES 13,122
NON RESERVATION ATTENDANCE 240,000
TRAILER PARK 1,834 RES. 5,502
GARDEN CENTER 8,000
TOTAL 321,624
FAIR PARK
A NEW LIVESTOCK BARN WAS CONSTRUCTED THIS YEAR AND THE SWINE BARN WAS DOUBLED IN
SIZE.
SOME OF THE FACILITIES AND ACTIVITIES ARE LISTED BELOW:
ACTIVITY FACILITIES
BOY SCOUT FUNCTIONS ART MUSEUM
CITY AUCTION LIONS CLUB ART SHOW CONCESSION STANDS
DOG SHOWS EXHIBIT BUILDINGS
DUCKS UNLIMITED LITTLE THEATRE
GROUP PICNIC LIVESTOCK BARNS
HORSE SHOW OPEN AREA
NECHES RIVER FESTIVAL FLEA MARKET
PET SHOWS
YMBL RODEO
YMBL SOUTH TEXAS STATE FAIR
COLISEUM THESE FACILITIES ARE OPERATED BY
HARVEST CLUB COMMUNITY FACILITIES DEPARTMENT AND
Y.M.B.L. HALL ATTENDANCE IS NOT SHOWN IN THIS REPORT.
ESTIMATED ATTENDANCE 825,000
BABE DIDRIKSON ZAHARIAS PARK
(Designated in 1980)
THIS PROPERTY AT PRESENT IS PRIMARILY USED FOR FREE PLAY. SOFTBALL TEAMS, SOCCER
LEAGUES AND GOLFERS ARE ITS PRIMARY PARTICIPANTS.
SPINDLETOP YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION 43,280
FREE PLAY 4,200
ESTIMATED ATTENDANCE 47,480
GRAND TOTAL ATTENDANCE 2,092,177
2.24
mately one-fourth of a neighborhood. The final category, special
parks , generally consists of "one-of-a-kind" , special purpose
facilities. The City's inventory of special parks includes a
fairgrounds (Fair Park) , an art museum and grounds (Wilson Art
Museum) , an as yet undeveloped Riverfront Park, the 124 - acre
Municipal Athletic Complex and the recently dedicated Babe
Dedrikson Zaharias Park, which will be developed as a special
purpose athletic center. Regional parks and special parks
have city-wide or larger service areas , therefore must be reached
by private automobiles or transit by most users. Community parks
are also reached by motor vehicle by many users, although good
pedestrian and bicycle access are also important for these
facilities. Beaumont's regional, special and community parks
are generally well situated for user access , with two notable
exceptions. The first of these, the Wilson Art Museum and grounds ,
is located on the interior of a neighborhood. This facility is
c.lassi'fied as a special park and, having a city-wide service
area, should be located on an arterial street or freeway for
maximum vehicular accessibility. A large arts and crafts festival
is held each year at the Wilson Center and each year there are
conflicts resulting from a massive influx of families and
automobiles into an area with streets and parking designed to
accommodate small volumes of neighborhood - oriented traffic.
A: second accessibility problem involves Spindletop Park, a
community park on the southeastern edge of the City, a community
park should serve several adjacent neighborhoods in a 12 to 2
2.25
mile radius. Obviously, for maximum efficiency of access , the
park should be located near the center of its intended service
area. Spindletop Parks "Service area consists mostly of wetlands
and industrial facilities , with only a handful of dwelling units .
within 12 miles. As a result, this Park is severely under-used
and is considered a nuisance and a security problem by the few
nearby residents.
Accessibility to neighborhood parks is deficient in many areas
of the city. Ideally, each neighborhood should be served by
its own neighborhood park, which should be located within
mile of most of the neighborhood residents. Since access to
neighborhood parks should be primarily pedestrian and bicycle
oriented, neighborhood park users should be able to travel from
their homes to the park without encountering major travel barriers
such as arterial streets or uncrossable drainage ways. As shown
in a later chapter, many residential neighborhoods in all parts
S
of Beaumont do not have adequate, safe access to a neighborhood
park.
Thus far,accessibility to parks and recreational facilities
has been discussed in terms of the general population. Any,
discussion of access to recreational facilities and services
should include consideration of the needs of special populations
with special needs. It is widely assumed that the automobile has
given all urban Americans unlimited mobility. If this assumption
were completely valid, less emphasis would be placed upon the
2 .26
importance of planning for the location and distribution of parks
within the urban area, however, just as some Americans are
disadvantaged in terms of income; there are others who are
` disadvantaged in terms of transporation. Most of the transportation
disadvantaged belong to one or more of the following groups: the
poor, the handicapped, the elderly, and the very young. In
addition to these four major groups, many housewives in one-car
families can also be classified as transportation disadvantaged.
The provision of easily accessible neighborhood and sub-
neighborhood parks should be a primary concern in planning for
the recreational needs of the transportation disadvantaged groups.
Additionally, community parks, large parks , and special use facilities
should be convenient to public transit routes in order to increase
their accessibility to the transportation disadvantaged.
The handicapped population of Beaumont is subject to another
.serious accessibility problem, which involves the relative lack
.of. public recreational facilities designed to meet their needs.
Until 1980, when special equipment was provided in Rogers Park
in West Beaumont, there was no specially designed or adopted
recreational equipment for use by handicapped children. The
City Council has adopted a policy calling for provision of
active recreational facilities for the handicapped and the 1981
construction season will include installation of special equipment
at several sites.
2.27
RECENT AND PROPOSED CHANGES IN THE SYSTEM
The past three years have seen several significant changes -in
Beaumont's park system. Many of these changes have been direct
results of an intensified interest in park, system improvement
and expansion shared by the City Council , the City Staff, and the
citizens of Beaumont. The following is a brief summary of
significant recent and proposed changes:
A Park and Open Space Element of the City's comprehensive
plan was adopted by the City Council in 1980. The plan
includes goals , objectives, policies and proposals for
the future development and rehabilitation of Beaumont's
Park and Open Space System. An annual review and re-
adoption requirement is included i n the plan as a means
of keeping the plan current and providing for montitorring
progress in achieving the adopted goals.
Community Development Block Grant funds were committed to
park renovation projects in 1980. This marks the first
significant use of CD funds for this purpose in Beaumont.
a Continued utilization of CD funds for renovation of Parks
in low and moderate income areas is an important part of
Beaumonts plan for park system recovery.
As mentioned previously, a program to provide special
facilities .for the handicapped was initiated during
- 1980. One advocate for the handicapped raised private
funds to finance construction of a special sidewalk
for handicapped access to the new recreation equipment
in Rogers Park.
In response to a City Council decision not to require
mandatory dedication of parkland in new subdivisions ,
o members of the City's Park and Recreation Committee
have instituted an informal program of "lobbying" with
developers and land owners for voluntary land donations.
In approving the sale of a city-owned portion of an old
® school site, the City Council stipulated that proceeds from
the land sale should be ear-marked for recreational purposes.
As part of the Planning Department' s neighborhood planning
program, a survey was compiled in 1980 asking for citizen' s
® views on the adequacy or inadequacy of city services ,
including parks and recreation, at the neighborhood level .
The survey has already been administered in one neighborhood.
2.28
Three new land parcels were added to the City's park system
in 1980. A mini-park site was aquired in the Fletcher
Neighborhood Strategy Area, a 28-acre community park site
in the developing northwestern area of the city was purchased,
and the 26 acre Multimax site near the geographic center
of the city was officially, designated as a city park. The
® Multimax property was renamed Babe D4drikson Zaharias Park
and is used by local soccer leagues as a practice and
tournament field. Seven soccer fields were constructed on
the site by one of the soccer organizations using private
funds and volunteer labor, and offical dedication of the
site as a park was requested by soccer league members and
their parents as a means of assuring that the city did not
convert the site to non-recreational use.
One of the City's three swimming pools was closed permanently
at the end of the 1980 season due to structural deterioration.
This represents a significant recreational loss to the
• surrounding neighborhoods and coupled with the impending two
pools in the near future, presents the City with a difficult
financial challenge.
® As a cost-cutting measure, restrooms will no longer be
provided in new neighborhood parks.
DESCRIPTION OF CURRENT CITY FUNCTIONS ASSOCIATED
WITH PARKS AND RECREATION
This section discusses inter-agency coordination of the
planning, financing, operation and maintenance functions of
the City Parks and Recreation program. Emphasis is placed
upon existing instances of coordination and possible areas
where efficiency could be increased by additional coordination.
Pla.nnina
The recreation planning function is , for the most part,
divided between the planning and Parks and Recreation Departments.
The Planning Department is responsible for comprehensive park
system planning and applications for Federal and State financial
2.29
aid.
To improve the coordination of site planning, .a planner/land-
scape architect was hired in 1981 to produce "in-house" site and
construction plans and to work with outside consultants when design
projects are contracted out. The Planning Department prepares con-
ceptual site plans, master site development plans, construction
drawings, contract documents and special design studies as needed.
Some large projects, such as Riverfront Park, or projects involving
large buildings., are contracted out.
In some instances, such as the design of Riverfront Park, a
third City Department, the City Manager' s office, has become involved
in site planning. A project coordinator in the Manager's office was
responsible for administering the Riverfront Park design services
contract and also is often involved in on-site supervision and con-
truction contract administration.
Financing
Financing decisions are made through the City's five year
capital improvements planning process. Most financing decisions
are made by the City Manager in consultation with the Parks
Director. The Planning Department becomes involved in the
park financing function when Community Development Block Grant
funds are used for Park projects and when other Federal funding
assistance is involved.
Capital improvements programming has generally been done by
the City Manager' s office.
2.30
Programming
In order to improve the efficiency of the delivery of
recreation services, the parks program should consider coordinating
recreation services programming with the Civic Center/Performing
Arts Theatre complex, the school districts and the Head Start
Program.
0 erations and Maintenance
The Parks. and Recreation Department performs most of the
:City's Parks and Recreation operations and maintenance functions.
Notable exceptions include grounds maintenance of the Wilson
Art Center and operation and maintenance of the Tyrrell Park
Golf Course, which are contracted out. In addition to maintaining
and operating parks, the Parks and Recreation Department maintains
numerous esplanades , boulevards and plaza areas.
One area warranting additional detailed study is the
possibility of contracting out more of the City's maintenance
and operation functions.
Acquisition and Development
Joint acquisition and development of school and park sites
has been proposed in the City's Comprehensive Plan; however, this
technique has yet to be tried due to the declining enrollments
of the local school districts.
2.31
The City is currently coordinating acquisition of a new Art
Museum site with Jefferson County. Art League funds are being
provided to the City to use in purchase of a 20-acre site from
the county government.
The City and Jefferson County Drainage District #6 are
coordinating their respective operations in the development of
Klein Park, which is located on either side of a major drainageway
slated for future improvements.
Other potential areas of intergovernment collaboration in
acquisition and development are development in open space corridors
in drainageways and River Authority canal corridors, further
collaboration with the CDBG neighborhood revitalization program,
and collaboration with the State Department of Highways and Public
Transportation in multi-use development of rights-of-way.
Approaches Used for Citizen Involvement
Citizen involvement has been, and will continue to be, a
major component of the City's ongoing planning process. This
section presents a listing of official mechanisms available for
public participation in Beaumont' s UPARR activities and describes
the formal and informal citizen participation actions which
provided input into the formulation of the Recovery Action Program.
Proposed Citizen Participation Mechanisms for the UPARR Program
UPARR public participation activities will be conducted under
the auspices of existing mechanisms for citizen involvement. The
following are the major existing mechanisms available for public
participation in park improvement planning:
1) Beaumont City Council
2) Planning and Zoning Commission
2.32
3) City Parks and Recreation Committee
4) Community Development Block Grant citizen's advisory
committee and neighborhood associations
5) Goals for Beaumont public planning participation program
6) Neighborhood Planning Program
The City Council and Planning Commission are each involved
in the City's ongoing park planning process. Either body may
hold public hearings to solicit public input for the UPARR
planning effort. Final local approval of City involvement in
the UPARR program will involve public City Council deliberation.
The Parks and Recreation Committee (PRC) is responsible for
advising the City Council , City Manager and Parks and Recreation
director as to park planning and selection and implementation of
goals, policies and priorities. Therefore, PRC workshops and
public hearings should be utilized as a primary citizen involvement
forum for setting priorities and selecting projects.
Any project affecting one of Beaumont's four CDBG target
areas-or which would involve use of CD funds for matching or
supplementary purposes will be referred to the citizen's advisory
committee and the appropriate neighborhood association. A detailed
citizen participation plan has been prepared by the local CD staff
and approved by HUD. The CD citizen participation process has
already been used to review and fund several proposed park
rehabilitation projects.
Input from the Goals for Beaumont recreation and civic design
task forces has already been incorporated into the City's recreation
planning program. It is anticipated that the Goals program will
continue to provide public planning participation opportunities.
2.33
In addition to the formal citizen involvement mechanisms
listed above, informal citizen participation will be encouraged
through publicizing the City's park recovery actions in the media
and through presenting the City's park and open space planning
slide show to civic groups , neighborhood organizations, and any
other groups of interested individuals. These two informal
citizen involvement techniques have thus far proved to be very
effective in eliciting public reaction to park planning proposals.
Public, Input into the R.A.P.
At the time intensive public and official review activities
of the City's Park and Open Space Element of the Comprehensive
Plan were being planned, elected and administrative officials had
already expressed interest in the UPARR program. Therefore, at
public hearings and workshops with officials and citizens groups,
issues relevant to the objectives of the UPARR program were
included in presentations and discussions. This has proved
beneficial from two stand points: first, a considerable amount
of input was received which was useful in the preparation of
interim rehab goals , strategies and priorities for the Preliminary
Action Program. Secondly, by broadening the scope of issues involved
in the Park and Open Space Element•, the overall quality of the plan
was improved considerably and the City provided itself a sub-
stantial "head start" in completion of a full Recovery Action
Program.
2.34
Public participation efforts thus far have involved two public
hearings; nine workshops involving officials , advisory groups,
civic groups and a college class; and several television news
items publicizing the City's ongoing park planning, development
and revitalization program. These activities have continued after
the official adoption of the park plan in June and have set a new
precedent for public participation in local planning activities which
will insure increased levels of responsiveness , relevance, and
equity in the City's planning programs.
The newest and most promising device for public participation
in the recreation Nianning and programming process is the
Planning Department's Neighborhood Planning Program which was
initiated during 1980 with a plan for the Charlton-Pollard
neighborhood a HUD approved Neighborhood Strategy Area in eastern
Beaumont. (The first group of neighborhood plans will be prepared
for low and moderate income neighborhoods which contain
Neighborhood Strategy Areas, although plans will later be prepared
for neighborhoods in all areas of the city) . As a data gathering
tool , neighborhood surveys will be used to provide an inventory
of neighborhood issues, attitudes, and needs. A copy of the' survey
form and responses relavent to recreational issues are shown in
Appendix 1.
After surveying all of the citizen participation techniques
utilized for the recreation recovery planning process over the
past year, it has been determined that the neighborhood planning
2.35
process should become the cornerstone of future neighborhood
oriented recreation recovery planning and implementation activities ,
for the following reasons:
I) The neighborhood planning process is concerned with the
overall physical , social , and economic revitalization of
neighborhoods. This presents an exceilant opportunity
to meet the UPARR programs objective of liking recreation
recovery to other neighborhood improvement actions.
Z) The neighborhood planning survey technique produces a
greater, and possibly more representative, citizen
response than public meetings, workshops , and mass
media coverage. An attempt is made to send survey forms
to all neighborhood residents.
3) Final neighborhood plan recommendations are subject to
citizen review in neighborhood meetings.
4) Since Neighborhood planning is an existing program
utilizing available community development block grant
funds, no added expense is involved in increasing the
level and quality of public input into UPARR activities.
5) The first few neighborhood plans will be done in
Neighborhood Strategy Areas, which are also among the
most likely target neighborhoods for UPARR involvement.
2 .3E
CHAPTER 3
INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS
Before plans for future revitalization of Beaumont's park and
open space system could be formulated, it was first necessary to
gather data regarding the City's existing recreation resources,
compare this data to park planning standards, identify deficiencies,
and project future requirements for land, facilities and services.
This chapter summarizes the findings of the inventory and analysis
phase of the planning process. The chapter is divided into four
sections: physical resources, rehabilitation needs, services,
and park system management.
PHYSICAL RESOURCES
Beaumont's present park system consists of 895 acres of
parkland and includes 37 different sites ranging in size from a
one-half acre mini-park to the 489-acre Tyrrell Park facility. In
addition to parks per se, the City also maintains several special
use facilities, such as the Fair Park Fairgrounds, the Beaumont
Art Center, and the 124-acre multi-use Athletic Complex.
Figure 3-1 shows the locations of the City's existing parks.
Table 3-1 provides a summary of data for each City park, including
size, date of acquisition and facilities. A brief description
of each park, its service area and its recreational facilities follows.
3. 1
FIGURE 3 -I G n
A IRKS
i
1 /
V I
ISL
.Ile
X12 ��
V /'
13
g 1 j
21 �-
_
EAST LUCAS
�. PARK04LE � I-----
MALL
25
,i jP
1
TASTE 10
BETHLEHEM
STEEL
F c'
°a° i24 ill PORT OF
SEAUMONT
CALDER AVE.
P
1 i i 4
ids H caL cou
TX o 28
_L
u
V°
• I18 .1
CANAL I I J i
L►wCJ1
1 \ I RM AMAR
UNIV
30
oop
44 1 -
�� 32ay
T
.. P' ® Neighborhood Park
SEE TABLE 3 -1 FOR
PARK SITE DATA Community Park
� �
-dlaa Regional Park
Special Park
' TABLE 3-1 SEE FIGURE 3-1
PARKS AND FACILITIES FOR PARK LOCATIONS
Q co
r
4
�r Jti ti y w Rs ` U 44
,vr o a8v
Alice Keith 1931 1 9.0 c X X 11 2 1 1 1 1 2 ,
Athletic Complex 1976 2 124.0 s X 9 8 2 8
j Caldwood 1900 3 2.5 n X X 1
Carroll Street 1947 4 9.0 n X X 2 2 1 2 .
Central 1920 5 13.9 c X X 1 4 1 1 {
Chaison 1943 6 2.1 n X X 1 1 1
Combest 1950 7 2.8 n X X ] 1
Cottonwood 1951 8 2.58 n X X 1 2 ]
Fair Park 1931 9 60.0 s X 10 --
{ Forest 1958 10 215 n X X 1 1 1 1 i
�..
Gilbert 1927 11 2,1 n X X 1 2 1
Guseman 1977 12 2.7 n/ '
�i Haynes 1970 13 5 n X X 11 1
F` Hebert 1886 14 1.0 n 3 1
j Ida Reed 1921 15 2.2 n X X ] 1 1 7
a Jacobs Street 1974 ns 0.5 m X X 1 l
't Keith 1838 17 2.1 s }
Liberia 1927 18 4.2 n X X 1 1 2 1 1 2
McLean 1943 19 4.7 n X X 1 1 -
` nolia 1913 20 16.9 c X X 1 2 12 1 1 2
r9an 21 64.8 r/
ultimax Site 1951 ns 2 7,0 5
i-
i akland/Mla le 1971 ns 0,2 m X X 1
fr arks 6 Rec. Dept. - ns. 1,6 s 1
erlstein 1968 24 2.5 n '
ine Street 1949 25 8.6 n X X 1 1 2 1 2
ipkin 1919 25 1 4491 n X X 1 1
�1 {
iverfront 1978 27 4.0 s/u
0berts 1915 28 2.1 in X X l I 1 1 1 2
gers 1964 29 15.5 c X X . 1 4 2 1 1 2
pindletop 1911 30 16.0 c X X' ,2 1 j
'- prott� 1970 31 10.0 n X X' •1 2 2 l 1 2
yrrell 1926 32 489.0 r X X 4
eiss 1916 33 2.8 n X• X 1
s 1 ilson Art Center 1969 . 34 5 s
r v
Klein 1981 36 28 c/u
Woodlands 1828 37 10 n/u
i
ns=not shown on Figure IV-1 TYPE OF PARK i
X = facilities present m a mini s = special
1 = number of units n = neighborhood u e undeveloped
c = community * = Multimax site
3, r = regional designated Babe
Zaharias Park 1980
Alice Keith
Alice Keith Park is located on a nine-acre site near Lamar
University. Facilities include a softball diamond, basketball
court, two tennis courts , a playground, a community center and one
of Beaumont's three public swimming pools. The pool is of an
obsolete, above-ground design and is scheduled for replacement
in 1982.
Alice Keith Park is located at an intersection of two arterial
streets, Highland and Lavaca. Although the park is no. larger
than a large neighborhood park, it should in fact be treated as
a community park by virtue of its location at the convergence of
four neighborhoods. The existing Alice Keith pool may be replaced
with a pool at another site. Other improvements that are needed
to upgrade this park to community park standards are landscaping
and additional basketball goals and softball backstops. As a
community park, the Alice Keith site is of substandard size.
Development surrounding the park makes acquisition of additional
acreage very unlikely; therefore, it is important that this site
be developed more intensely to maximize its recreational utility.
Athletic Complex
The Municipal Athletic Complex is one of the newest and
most popular of the City's recreational sites. The 125 acre
special-use park, which is still under development, currently
contains nine softball diamonds, eight tennis courts, two basket-
ball coals, and a "creative playground" for small children. The
Athletic Complex is heavily used during the spring, summer and
fall by several softball leagues. A comprehensive master plan was
prepared for the development of the A.C. in 1975. Additional
facilities recommended in the master plan include several more
liahted softball complexes, an "aquatic center" featuring a
swimming pool , and 16 additional tennis courts.
Caldwood Park
Caldwood Park is a 2.5 acre neighborhood park dedicated
by plat as part of the Caldwood Addition in 1900. The park is
3.4
one half the minimum size for a neighborhood park, however this
deficiency is somewhat reduced in significance by the park's
relatively small , low-density service area. A tennis court,
basketball goal , playground and picnic area are located in the park.
Carrol Street
Carrol Street Park is a nine-acre neighborhood park located
in the Charlton Pollard community development target area. The
site is partially developed and currently features softball diamonds,
playground equipment, basketball goals and a wading pool . A portion
of the site is currently being used by Mobil Oil as a parking lot
under a leasing arrangement. The current Capital Improvements
Program includes appropriations for lighted tennis courts . Land-
scaping for screening and beautification is badly needed to reduce
the visually blighting effects of an oil refinery adjacent to the
park. New playground equipment is also needed.
Central
At one time, the Central Park site included 75 acres and was
the location of the Municipal Airport. Large portions of the site
have been sold and the park now contains only 13.9 acres, which
makes it substandard size for a community park. In 1979 the
Beaumont Best Years Center, an activaty facility for senior
citizens , was opened in the renovated Naval Reserve building.
In addition to a steam locomotive display, Central Park's
facilities include four tennis courts, a playground, a small lake,
and softball diamonds.
Combest
Combest Park was dedicated by plat as part of the Mingiewood
Addition in North Beaumont. The park is 2. 1 acres in area and contains
picnic and playground areas, a wading pook, baseball diamond and basket-
ball goals.
3. 5
Chai son
Chaison Park is a 2.1 acre neighborhood park serving the area
South of Washington Boulevard, West of Highland Street, East of
Avenue H and North of Lavaca Street. Facilities include a picnic
area, playground, wading pool , softball diamond and basketball goal .
Cottonwood
Cottonwood Park is a 2.6 acre neighborhood park near Fair Park
and the Concord Public Housing project. Although the parks size is
substandard, considerable open space is available at nearby Fair
Park, the Multimax property, and Magnolia Park. Cottonwood Park
has volleyball and softball facilities, a wading pool , basketball
goals, a playground and a softball backstop.
Fair Park
Fair Park is a sixty acre multi-purpose special use facility
whose most prominent features are the Southeast Texas State
Fairgrounds and the new Fair Park Arena, a covered outdoor facility
used for rodeos and musical concerts. The Beaumont Little Theatre,
the Harvest Club, and an art museum are also housed in Fair Park.
The original Fair Park Master Plan is currently undergoing revision.
Major utility. repair work will be necessary in the near future, in
addition to heating, venting and air conditioner system repairs at
the Harvest Club building.
Forest
Forest Park was dedicated by plat as a part of the Forest Park
subdivision and consists of a 2.5 acre playground and picnic area.
The park averages approximately 125 feet in width and abuts a
railroad track for a distance of approximately 1000 feet.
Gilbert
Gilbert Park is adjacent to Saint Anne's School between
Liberty, Calder, 11th and 13th Streets. The service area of the
2.1 acre park is severely constrained by its close proximity to
Interstate 10 and three major thoroughfares, however it is well utilized
3. 6
as a recreation area for the adjacent school . Tennis courts, a
wading pool , a playground, and a fish pond are located in Gilbert
Park.
Haynes
Haynes Park, unlike most of Beaumont's neighborhood parks ,
meets the minimum five acre site standard for neighborhood parks.
park is located in the sparsely developed, semi-rural Beaumont
Improvement subdivision east of Helbig Road. A playground, basket-
ball court, and softball diamond are the only improvements in
Haynes Park. Population growth east of Helbig Road would justify
more intensive development of this park.
Hebert
Hebert Park consists of three tennis courts, a wading pool ,
and a shelter on a one acre site at the corner of 7th and Smart
Streets. This park is too small to be classified as a neighborhood
park, but is a useful supplement to the nearby McClean neighborhood
park site. The tennis courts are in poor condition and should be
repaired.
Ida Reed
Ida Reed Park is a 2.25 acre neighborhood park located at 7th
and Louisiana Streets in the Averili Addition. A tennis court,
softball diamond, and basketball goals are located in the park.
The park's service area consists of the Averill Addition between
Interstate 10, Calder, 11th Street and 1st Street.
Jacobs Street
Jacobs Street Park is located at the corner of Jacobs and
Anthony Streets in the Charlton Pollard community development target
area. This is one of the City's two mini-parks and consists
of one-half acre of land, playground equipment, a picnic area, and
basketball goals. The park was built in 1974 and is in good condition.
Keith
Keith Park is a 2.1 acre special use park, consisting of the
grounds of the old City Hall . Keith Park is Beaumont's oldest park
3.7
property, dating back to the original Beaumont Townsite Plat of
1838. The parks primary functions are downtown beautification
and passive recreation.
Liberia
Liberia Park, located in the Hebert community development
target neighborhood, is a 4.2 acre neiqhborhood park. Facilities
include a picnic area, a playground, a softball diamond,
a tennis court and swimming and wading pools. The swimming pool
is in poor condition and the wading pool is substandard in size.
McLean
McLean Park is a 2.7 acre neighborhood park located at the
corner of 7th and Angelina Streets in the Oakdale Addition. The
park contains picnic and playground facilities, a softball diamond,
and a basketball goal.
Magnolia
Magnolia Park, located between Gulf and Magnolia streets
is a. 16.9 acre community park serving several northeast Beaumont
neighborhoods. Magnolia Park's facilities include picnic and
playground areas , a softball diamond, two tennis courts , basketball
goals, and swimming and wading pools. The 1980-1984 Capital Improve-
ments Program provides for replacement of the above-ground swimming
pool in fiscal year 1982.
Morgan
The totally undeveloped 64.8 acre Morgan Park site is located
North of East Lucas Street near its intersection with Magnolia Street.
The site has poor street access and is subject to frequent, prolonged
flooding. In practical terms , the site is undeveiopable as a conven-
tional park, but could be incorporated into a system of greenbelts
and nature preserves. y V
Multimax Property
The 27 acre Multimax site is located south of Fair Park on
Interstate 10. A museum, commemorating Babe Didrikson Zaharias, a
former Beaumont resident who is generally recognized as one of the
3.8
best woman athletes of all time, was recently built on the southeast
corner of the site. The property is used by a children's soccer
league and several soccer goals have been erected. (The soccer fields
are maintained by the league) . The site is also used as a playfield,
driving range, jogging track, and for other informal recreational
activities., The site's conspicuous location on Interstate 10 makes
it an important element of Beaumont's overall physical appearance.
The site has recently been granted park status and renamed Babe
2aharias Park.
Oakland/Maple
The second of the City's two r,ini-parks , the .2 acre
Oakland/Maple site features a picnic area, playground equipment, and
a basketball goal . It serves a low-income residential area east of
the Multimax site.
Perlstein
The Perlstein property on Phelan Boulevard near 23rd Street
was until recently totally undeveloped. The 2.5 acre site, when
developed, will be a neighborhood park serving residential areas
south of Phelan, west of Interstate 10, and east of 23rd Street.
Parking, shelters, and tennis courts are programmed for construction
in fiscal year 1981 . Playground equipment was installed in late 1979.
Pine Street
Pine Street Park is an 8.6 acre neighborhood park located
in the Pine Oaks community development target area. A tennis court,
a softball diamond, basketball goals, a little league diamond, a
wading pool , and picnic and playground areas are located in Pine Street
Park. The southern edge of the park is heavily wooded. The park is
across the street from Martin Elementary School , illustrating the
neighborhood design concept of the creation of neighborhood centers
by locating a park and elementary school in or near the geographic
center of the neighborhood.
Pipkin
Pipkin Park is located between Park and Pennsylvania Streets,
south of Beaumont's central business district. A wading pool , a
playground, a rose garden and the Temple to the Brave War Memorial
are the primary improvements in this park. Pipkin Park's location
between two streets forming an arterial "one-way pair" limits its
3. 9
effective service area as a neighborhood park, although the park is an
important aesthic asset.
Riverfront
Riverfront Park is currently undeveloped. The crescent-shaped,
four acre site borders the Neches River for more than a quarter mile
and, when developed, will be a special purpose park providing down-
town beautification and passive recreational opportunities.
Development of Riverfront Park is part of the overall development
plan for the municipal complex on Main Street. Development funding
is programmed through 1982.
Roberts
Roberts Park, a 2.1 acre neighborhood park, is located at the
intersection of Roberts Street and Avenue B in Southeast Beaumont.
Improvements include a tennis court, a softball diamond, playgrounds,
shelter and wading pool .
Rogers
Rogers Park is a 15.5 acre community park at the corner of
Dowlen Road and Gladys Avenue. The park primarily serves the area
between Lucas, Delaware, Phelan, and Major, although its location
on a major north-south thoroughfare makes it easily accessible by
automobile to most of west Beaumont. Improvements include four
tennis courts, a softball diamond, basketball goals , a wading pool ,
and a community center. About one-fourth of Roger's Park immediate
service area is currently undeveloped. Usage of this park can be expected
to increase significantly as further residential development occurs
in west Beaumont.
Spindletop
Spindletop Park is a 16 acre park located at the intersection
of Spindletop Avenue and the Kansas City Southern Railroad, north
of Cardinal Drive. Facilities include picnic and playground areas ,
two softball diamonds and basketball goals. The parks location
makes it generally inaccessible, and it has fallen to disuse. Although
the desirable service radius standard for a community park is one to two
miles, there are only approximately 260 dwelling units within a one mile
3.10
radius of Spindletop Park, and future large scale residential devel-
opment is improbable.
Sprott
Sprott Park is a 10-acre neighborhood park north of the
intersection of Virginia and St. Louis Streets in South Beaumont.
Picnic and playground areas, basketball goals, two tennis courts,
a community center and a wading pool are located in the park.
Sprott Park is well located in relation to its service area, which
includes two large apartment projects .
Tyrrell
Tyrrell Park is Beaumont's only developed regional Dark
Located in the extreme southern end of Beaumont, Tyrrell Park consists
of a 489 acre site featuring picnic areas, a playground, an 18-hole
public golf course, an archery range, a riding academy, a unique
"scent garden", and several natural wooded areas. Improvements of
roads and parking and construction of new shelter and restroom
facilities are programmed for the 1980 fiscal year.
Weiss
Weiss Park is a 2.8 acre neighborhood park on the western fringe
of Beaumont's central business district. A fish pond, rose garden,
playground, wading pool , and shelter are included in the park, which
provides much needed developed open space in the downtown area.
Park Site Deficiencies
Table 3-2 identifies individual park sites not meeting the
acreage, locational and facility standards discussed in Chapter III.
Figure 3-2 , shows the one-half mile service radii of existing neigh-
borhood parks and Figure 3-3 Shows areas within one and one-half
miles of existing community parks.
Size Deficiencies
As shown by Table 3-2 , the most common park site deficiency
3. 11
TABLE 3-2
PARK SITE DEFICIENCIES
PARK SIZE DEFICIENCY FACILITY DEFICIENCY LOCATIONAL DEFICIENCY
Alice Keith X X
Caldwood x
Carroll Street X X
Central X X
Chaison x
Combest x x
Cottonwood x
Forest x x
Gilbert x
Guseman x x
Haynes x
w Hebert x x
N Ida Reed x
Jacobs Street
Liberia x x
McClean x
Magnolia x
Morgan x x
Oakland/Maple
Perlstein x x x
Pine Street x
Pipkin x
Roberts x
Rogers
Spindletop x x
Sprott
Tyrrell
Weiss x x
Not included: Special Use Parks
FIGURE 3-2 �1 �0a H �D r� CO n ED I L%[R K
r'. � ISL,gND
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PARKDALE Y
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�� ♦♦` Service Area of
�y Neighborhood Parks
3.13
FIGURE 3-3 Q3MMU[N]ffy (PAR(
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PARKDALE N. EAST
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Service Area of
~♦ Community Parks
3.14
is that of substandard acreage in neighborhood parks . There are
four possible actions that can be taken to overcome park size
deficiencies :
1 ) . Acquisition of additional adjacent land to increase total
park acreage.
2) . Acquisition of a standard size replacement site within the
service area of the substandard park.
3). Design and facility improvements to maximize the recreational
utility of the substandard site.
4). Provision of additional small parks, including vest pocket
parks, within the substandard parks service area.
5) . Utilization of alternate sites for recreation, such as
school grounds.
Ideally, the first two of this list of actions would be the
preferred method of correcting site size deficiencies , however,
due to the realities of financing and land availability, the last
three approaches are apt to be more workable, especially in fully
developed residential areas where vacant land_is prohibitively
expensive or simply non-existent.
Locational Deficiencies
Problems stemming from poorly located park sites are difficult
to correct once a park has been developed; furthermore, the scarcity
of land for park development often creates a necessity to choose
3.13
between a park with certain locational deficiencies or no park at
all . Short of relocating parks, certain planning actions and site
design improvements can be implemented to overcome some of the ill
effects of locational deficiencies; for example, fencing or screening
can be utilized to reduce the safety, noise, and aesthetic problems
resulting from locating a neighborhood park on a major street.
Facility Deficiencies
Table 3-2 indicates that many of Beaumont's parks require
additional recreation facilities and equipment. Generally, these
deficiencies are due to deterioration or obsolescence of existing
facilities and to incomplete development of park sites. These
deficiencies must be corrected through the City's capital improvements
program.
Service Area Deficiencies
Figure 3-4 shows the residential areas in Beaumont in which
residents cannot reach a neighborhood park without crossing an arterial
street or freeway, or which are more than one half mile from the
nearest neighborhood park. (Areas in which a community park or large
urban park is accessible within one-half mile without crossing
arterial streets are considered adequately served by parks and are
not shaded on the map) . Service area deficiencies can be corrected
3. 16
'FIGURE 3-4
y �
2
r `Pei:tia 0���,: ����� ` �tY" �'•.
STATE H191Wd 106!� "' �
V1iYri111YY� �°
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y � PAR ttOALE ' 'mot � �A4iar+r►� '.:� ,� '.
_ MALL
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BETHLEHEM
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BEAUMONT
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\ ` T
Existing Parks
INAQ Residential Areas Not Served
By Neighborhood Parks
3. 17
by provision of new parks or by improving the closest parks to
accomodate a larger population. The second option should be
exercised in situations in which the population size of the un-served
area is too small to justify provision of an additional park. In
some cases , sidewalk and pedestrian crossing improvements could
be utilized to lessen safety hazards in crossing busy streets,
thereby increasing the effective service areas of some neighborhood
parks .
Future Park Requirements
Future needs for park system improvements have been projected
in accordance with the standards listed in Beaumont's Comprehensive Plan.
Since trends in population growth and distribution, housing density,
availability of leisure time, and personal preferences in recreational
pursuits are subject to change, these generalized, long-range forecasts
should be reviewed and updated periodically. Furthermore, the projec
tions should be subjected to "reasonability checks" in relation to the
City's financial capabilities.
Table 3-3- shows a projected demand for `1400 acres of public
parkland in the year 2000. Of this total , 350 acres should be
J.I:.S
TABLE 3-3
PROJECTED PARK REQUIREMENTS
PARK CLASSIFICATION EXISTING PARKS NEEDED BY 2000 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
(ACRES) (ACRES) 1980-2000 (ACRES)
Neighborhood 72 350 278
Community 71 350 279
Regional and Special 686 700 14
Total 829 1400 571
1Undeveloped sites are included in total of dedicated existing parks, with the
exception of the undevelopable 65 acre Morgan site.
3.19
devoted to neighborhood parks , -35-G acres to community parks and
700 acres to regional and special parks. Comparing these
figures to existing resources, 278 additional acres of neighborhood
parks, 279 acres of community parks and 14 acres of special
parks will be required within the next 20 years. With the exception
of the swampy Morgan Park site, existing undeveloped park sites
were counted as existing parks for projection purposes . Nature
preserves and openspace corridors were not included in future park
requirement figures,.
Recreational Facilities and Equipment
Existing Facilities
Table 3-4 provides an overall inventory of the recreational
facility and equipment resources of Beaumont's park system. Table
3-1 includes a listing of selected types of facilities on a park-
by-park basis. Table . 3-5 shows the relationship of the City's
existing recreational facilities to the standards for these
facilities contained in Beaumont's Comprehensive Plan.
Future Recreational Facility Requirements
Table 3-6 shows projected recreational facility requirements for
the years 1985 and 2000 using two sets of standards : population ratio
standards derived from the National Recreation and Park Association
standards , and "participation" standards provided by the Texas
3. 20
TABLE 3-4
COMPLETE LISTING OF
RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
1 BASEBALL DIAMOND
1 18 HOLE GOLF COURSE
1 FOOTBALL FIELD
1 GARDEN CENTER
1 PEE WEE DIAMOND
1 PLATFORM TRAILER
1 RIDING ACADEMY
1 SHOWMOBILE
1 TENNIS CENTER
2 ART CENTERS
2 BADMINTON COURTS
2 PADDLEBALL COURTS
2 TRAILER AREAS (94 hookups)
3 FISH PONDS
3 MULTIPURPOSE COVERED HARD
SURFACED AREA (LIGHTED)
5 COMMUNITY BUILDINGS
5 VOLLEYBALL COURTS
9 SHELTERS
9 SOFTBALL FIELDS (8 LIGHTED)
11 MAINTENANCE TOOL SHEDS
15 SOFTBALL BACKSTOPS
16 HARD SURFACED AREAS
16 WADING POOLS
28 BASKETBALL GOALS
31 REST ROOMS
32 TENNIS COURTS (20 LIGHTED)
65 BARBEQUE UNITS
86 PARK BENCHES
181 CONCRETE PICNIC UNITS
193 UNITS PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT
3 TENNIS REBOUND BOARDS
3. 2 i
TABLE 3-5
RECREATIONAL FACILITY DEFICIENCIES
CITY OF BEAUMONT PARK SYSTEM
FACILITY STANDARD EXISTING ADDITIONAL FACILITIES NEEDED TO MEET STANDARD
(1978 POPULATION)
Tennis Courts 1 per 2,000 persons 32 27
Solftball Diamonds 1 per 3,000 persons 24 15
Golf Course 1 per 54,000 persons 1 1
Swimming Pool 450 sq. ft. per 1000 23,471 sq. ft. 29,642 sq. ft.
persons
Community Center 1 per 20,000 persons 51 1
rJ Playground 1 .5 acre per 1000 39 acres2 138 acres
iJ
persons
Soccer Field 1 per 20,000 persons 73 0
Football Field l per 20,000 persons 1 5
ZExisting "Community Centers" are substandard, should be upgraded
Playground acreage estimated at 1 .5 acres per playground
3Constructed and maintained by soccer league on city property