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HomeMy WebLinkAbout631-OBDATE: August 19, 2002 TO: Planning Commission and City Council. FROM: Stephen C. Richardson, Planning Manager. SUBJECT: Re -adoption of the "Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan Element" of the Comprehensive Plan. FILE: 631 - OB STAFF REPORT The re -adoption of the Parks, Recreation, & Open Space Plan Element was last approved on August 29, 2000. Its re -adoption is being requested in order to maintain the two year re - adoption schedule required by the plan and City Charter. The text has been modified only to update the document to reflect changes that have occurred over the past two years. For example, information on changes to the facility descriptions and the implementation sections where the listing of projects, the costs of the projects, and their time -lines for short-term improvements had to be changed. No changes were made to the goals, objectives, policies, or proposal sections. The staff has made only these minimum type changes because a completely new plan is being prepared for review and re -adoption in early Fall of 2003. That new plan will have Census 2000 data, much of which comes out this Fall. Once adopted, the 2003 Plan will be submitted to the National Park Service for approval so that Beaumont can remain eligible for Federal UPARR grants. The document will also be submitted to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for their review and approval. The new document is being prepared consistent with the grant program requirements of the state and the National Park Service. One document, the 2003 Plan, is being prepared to take the place of two current documents; the Parks, Recreation, & Open Space Plan and our UPARR Recreation Program Recovery Action Plan (RAP). Changes to the docum ent are highlighted in yellow. � PARKS, RECREATION !U, OPENSPACE PLAN An Element of The Comprehensive Plan of the City of Beaumont, Texas DWI August 2002 I d PAKS, RRECREATION .. OPEN SPACE PLAN An Element of The Comprehensive Plan of the City of Beaumont, Texas Prepared by the Planning Division of the Economic Development Department, City of Beaumont. August, 2002 RESOLUTION NO. 02- BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BEAUMONT WHEREAS, the City Council recognizes its responsibility for establishing development and operational policy with regard to the City`s Parks, Recreation, and Open Space systems; and, WHEREAS, in order to insure objectivity, consistency, and equality in meeting the parks, recreational, and open space requirements of the community, it is necessary to document and justify such policy in accordance with pre -determined and agreed upon goals and objectives; and, WHEREAS, the City Council intends to coordinate the development of parks, jj recreational, and open spaces areas with other physical development within the City in II order to avoid duplication and maximize the effective use of parks, recreational, and open space facilities and services; and, WHEREAS, said goals and objectives should constitute the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan; and WHEREAS, the City Council has reviewed the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan as an element of a comprehensive plan at a public hearing held thereon; and, WHEREAS, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee and the Planning Commission of the City of Beaumont have studied and recommended the adoption of such I Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BEAUMONT: THAT the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan shall be adopted as a component of the Comprehensive Plan of the City of Beaumont as shown on Exhibit "A"; and, THAT, such Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan shall remain current with regard to the needs of the City of Beaumont and reflective of the official views of the City Council by the review, amendment where necessary, and re -adoption by the City Council every two years as provided by the City Charter. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that said Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan shall guide the implementation of the City's Five -Year Capital Improvements Plan and Annual Capital Improvements Program in so far as said programs affect parks, i!I recreational, and open space acquisition and/or improvements. PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL of the City of Beaumont this day of August, 2002 . Mayor Beaumont City Council The Honorable Mayor Evelyn M. Lord Mayor Pro-Tem Lulu Smith Councilperson At -Large Becky Ames Councilperson At -Large Andrew Cokinos Councilperson Guy Goodson, Ward 2 Councilperson Audwin Samuel, Ward 3 Councilperson Bobbie Patterson, Ward 4 Beaumont City Planning Commission 1 Laurie Leister, Chairman Greg Dykeman, Vice -Chairman Glenn Bodwin J Marty Craig Dale A. Hallmark i ) Carlos Hernandez Walter Kyles Dohn LaBiche E William Lucas Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee Lula Henry, Chairman Adrian Hudspeth, Vice -Chairman Gary Celli George Chute Myra Clay Michael Getz George Jackson Benny Mendoza David Verde Barbara White INTRODUCTION Purpose / Intent This Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan is the official and complete statement of public goals, objectives, policies, and recommendations endorsed by the Beaumont City Council concerning the future development and redevelopment of the City's parks and recreational facilities and open space resources over the neat twenty to thirty years. It is needed in order to insure objectivity, consistency, and equality in meeting the parks, recreational, and open space needs and desires of all the residents of Beaumont. The Plan makes it possible to document and justify decision making actions in accordance with predetermined and agreed upon goals, objectives, and policies. Development and adoption of this Plan clearly places the responsibility for setting the City's parks, recreation, and open space goals, objectives, and policies with the elected officials of the City. The Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan has the recommendation of the City Planning Commission and is adopted by the City Council in order to make it clear to the community that the Plan does, in fact, represent the official views and policies of the City Council. However, the adoption of this Plan does not mean that its goals, objectives, policies, and proposals are static or end -state. As conditions change and new issues and information come to the forefront, the City Council may have to amend this Plan in order to meet those changing conditions. Also, with experience, some policies and proposals may prove to be unworkable or unrealistic and need to be revised or deleted from the Plan. Therefore, to insure that the Plan is kept up-to-date and reflects the intentions of the City Council, this Plan is to be publicly reviewed and re -adopted by the City Council every two years. When necessary, there may even be a need for a more frequent re -adoption. This Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan is an official element of the City's Comprehensive Plan. Park Facilities and Recreational Services The present park system encompasses more than 2,132 acres spread among thirty-two sites. See Table A-1 for details on each park site. Water oriented recreational activities are provided by two swimming pools, two wading pools, five spray devices, and two sites fronting the Neches River. The Athletic Complex, located on College Street, is one of the largest parks and is the City's major center for softball activities. The park is also a major tennis facility. The City's major golf facility, the Henry Homberg Municipal Golf Course, is located at Tyrrell Park. A horse riding stable, a garden center and conservatory, a tree farm, and an artificial wetlands facility providing nature and birding watching areas are located in and adjacent to Tyrrell Park. In addition to the thirty-two recreational parks, there are seventeen landscaped passive recreational facilities including three water fountains maintained by parks staff in the Central Business District. Recreational programs and senior citizen services provided by the City include special summer youth day activities at eight locations, an age group track program, high school basketball, and learn to swim classes. A free Summer Food Service Program is offered at four locations. Special programs for all age groups, particularly for young children, are provided on special occasions (i.e., Christmas, Easter, Black History Month, Halloween, etc.). Special Senior Citizen programs such as arts and craft classes, dance classes, table games, social activities including field trips, health services, and social support groups are provided at the Best Years Senior Center. The current level of recreational programs and services is broad based and varied, however, a study of the types and numbers of such programs, compared to the current and any projected demographics for the city, might find deficiencies in the provision of those programs and services. As more 2000 Census figures become available, a study of the types and numbers of recreational and social activity programs provided compared to the age structure of the population is intended to be conducted. An expanded analysis and proposal section will be provided in a summer or fall of 2003 complete revision of the plan. Overview of the Planning Area Over the past ten years or so there has been a migration of population to out lying or suburban communities. However. this migration appears to be stabilizing or perhaps reversing. Where new development and population growth is occurring within the City it is generally to the west, while the eastern half of the City has been experiencing a decline in population and little new development. Hopefully, current and future City neighborhood redevelopment efforts may be successful in stopping and in reversing out migration in the eastern parts of the City. For a detailed description of demographic data, see Appendix B: Demographics. The Planning Process While most of the "physical, long-term planning" for the park system is achieved by the Planning Division staff of the Economic Development Department, the planning and provision of park and recreation "services and activities" is accomplished by parks and recreation staff. Planning staff is responsible for coordinating the comprehensive park planning process and producing reports documenting the planning and policies formulations process. Additionally, a considerable amount of technical assistance is provided to the Planning staff by parks and recreation personnel. The City's fourteen member Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee also provides guidance to City staff and City Council in planning for park and recreational services. The following discussion explains how the process of developing this planwas planned, guided and executed. The discussion begins with work done in 1995 because this year 2002 plan is an update of the adopted 1998 plan, which was originally started in 1995. It is also important to note that in 2000, the Parks and Recreation Department was reorganized into the Parks and Property Services Division within the Department of Public Works, and the Recreation Division within the Departme nt of Central Services. Preliminary Stage (mid-1995 to mid-1996) The primary participants in the early stages of development of this plan were the City Planning and the Parks and Recreation office staff. At this stage, staff members prepared draft outlines of the plan teat and map, created inventory forms and began inventorying existing conditions, created survey forms and, in general, got the plan fodevelopent r form emample�ess started. The Planning staff also began preliminary needs assessment activities. (See Appendix D In this early stage of production, the City Planning staff began to formulate evaluations regarding the physical nature of the park system. This occurred through several field inspections throughout the park system in order to inventory park facilities and also to obtain firsthand information regarding various issues such as maintenance and park usage. Needs assessment activities were generally begun immediately following the inventory and analysis of the park system inventory. Planning for this Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan utilized three forms of needs assessment methodologies; standard -based, resource -based, and demand -based. Standard -Based Needs Assessment The National Recreation and Park Association has set standards regarding the size of a park's service area as well as the appropriate acreage and number of facilities needed for the given size of a community. A comparison between current National Recreation and Park Association Standards (See Table C-1 in Appendix C) and the number, size, and condition of existing facilities can indicate whether or not a park adequately serves its given service area (See Figure A-1 and A-2 in Appendix A). Facilities or parks not meeting current standards indicate areas where new facilities should be provided or existing facilities be improved (See Table 1 on page 12). Acreage standards are intended to be used as general guidelines for analyzing existing park resources and for planning future improvements and are not to be used as rigid formulas for determining park land needs. In no case should standards be used as the sole justification for acquiring additional park land. The specific needs of individual neighborhoods, the availability of funding for park system development at any given time, and factors such as the needs of additional maintenance personnel and operating expenses that would be generated by the new acquisition should be carefully evaluated when considering new additions to the City's park land inventory. 2 Resource -Based Needs Assessment If the City of Beaumont is to purchase more land to meet future park needs, the cost can be substantial. In many cases, suitable public land needed to meet many of the Beaumont parks deficiencies already exists. By utilizing resource based methods of needs assessment, existing resources are allocated to meet appropriate parks and recreation needs. The Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan considers the use of existing resources such as undeveloped park land, easements, or floodplain property as potential resources for meeting future park and recreation needs. Abandoned school sites are an example of existing resources which have a great potential for providing park services, especially to inner- city areas. Also, there are a significant amount of vacant properties in the eastern portion of the City, which are another resource for the redevelopment of inner-city neighborhoods. Demand -Based Needs Assessment Those recreational services or facilities showing a high demand by the constituency should ideally be provided for in the plan. Demand for park and recreation services was evident through direct requests from the public. These requests are sometimes conveyed directly to the planning and parks staff or through the Parks Committee and City Council members. Demand for recreational services and facilities were also determined from park and recreation staff observation of citizen participation levels. Intermediate Stage (Mid 1996 to December 1996) After the initial development stage, participation was expanded to include input from the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, the Planning Commission, various Neighborhood Associations, other governmental officials and interested citizens. Several drafts of the plan were produced during this period reflecting the interaction with these various groups. Neighborhood Planning Program The Neighborhood Planning Program of the Planning Division of the Department of Economic Development is now a major component of the planning office's work effort. Furthermore, the parks, recreation, and open space planning components of neighborhood plans contribute to the development of this Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan. Public participation in the development of neighborhood plans is extensive and involves grass roots, local participation. Since all neighborhood plans go through a public hearing process prior to official adoptionby the City Council, city wide citizen participation also occurs. Considering all of the citizen participation techniques available, it was decided that the neighborhood planning process would become the cornerstone of all future neighborhood oriented parks, recreation, and open space planning and implementation activities. City Planning staff attended neighborhood association meetings throughout this intermediate stage ofplan development. Park and recreation related issues brought forth from these meetings provided valuable information during the development of the plan. Although a city wide parks and recreation citizen survey was not administered during the production of this plan, citizen surveys were completed on the neighborhood level. For example, the West Oakland/ Pear Orchard Neighborhood Citizen Survey, the College Street Corridor Area Citizen Survey, the Old Town Neighborhood Resident Survey, and most recently, the 2001 South Park Citizen Survey, have provided valuable public input regarding the parks serving those neighborhoods. Future planning at the neighborhood level should ideally utilize the citizen survey, thus providing more data regarding public opinions of the parks in the Beaumont system. (See example in Appendix D). ` Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee IL The Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee (PRAC) regularly meets with City staff to discuss park planning and recreational needs and to identify goals, objectives, and priorities. The PRAC is responsible on an ongoing basis for L I advising the City Council and City Manager on these matters. Therefore the City considers PRAC workshops and public meetings and hearings as the primary citizen involvement forum for setting priorities and selecting projects. The 1997 Parks and Open Space Plan was presented for discussion and approval during a December 1996 PRAC workshop. The n Space plan was presented for discussion and approval during a Spring 1998 PRAC workshop. 1998 Parks and Open Spa a May 2000 PRAC The 2000 Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Planwas presented for discussion and approval during workshop. Final Stage (December 1996 to May 1997) plan, the Cie Council, the Planning Commission and the general public In the later stages of development of the 1997 became officially involved through the public hearing pros City Council The City Council and Planning Commission are both involved to the extent that either body may hold public hearings to solicit public input for the planning efforts. Typically, the Planning Commission will hold public meetings during the intermediate planning stages and a joint City Council / Planning Commission meeting Space would occur Plafollows later t geOf s of plan development. Official approval of the Parks, Recreation, and openp recommendations from the Planning Commission and public City Council deliberation and approval of those recommendations. The Planning Commission held a workshop on commissionthe 1997 Meeting on Februaryplan.inDecember 1996 to discuss the 3,1997 to discuss A public hearing was held during a joint City Council was Planning an in by City Council on May 13, 1997. the final draft of the plan. The resulting document Execution Stage (May 1997 to present) The final draft of the 1997 Parks and Open Space Plan was placed into effect on May 13, 1997. Revision Stage (February to June 1998) In early 1998 revisions to the 1997 plan were drafted and presented in a public forum in May 1998. The revised 1997 plan was adopted by the City Council on June 23, 1998. Year 2000 Up -date (Spring 2000) In March and April of 2000, revisions to the at a Parks 2000 P� andR ce Plan were drafted. Aecreation Advisory Committee (PRAC) of the vorkshop� Recreation, and Open Space Plan was present Y Also presented was a mail -in survey form to get committee member opinions on priorities for the Five Year Plan. The Committee's priorities, as determined from the survey, were as follows: The old Edward's School site and the Wooten Rd. / Shady Lane area were tied for Priority 1-Create new neighborhood parks, first choice and the Boreley Heights area was the next choice.` Priority 2 - Renovation / rehabilitation of Tyrrell Park was the first choice with Weiss Park as second? Priority 3 - Continue an unfinished phase of an existing park or provide recreational opportunities not now provided for (tied for third priority). Priority projects were (1) River Front Park and (2) Municipal Athletic Complex and (1) Skateboard / Roller Blade facility and (2) Recreational Fishing Facility, respectively' In 2001, a master plan was initiated for a 2.5 acre park on the Edward's Site and funding supplied by CDBG. 21n 2000-01, improvements to Tyrrell Park included a new storage facility, sidewalks, and camping and horseback riding facilities. 3 In 2000-01, improvements to the Municipal Athletic Complex included renovations to softball, tennis and playground facilities. 4 Using input from the PRAC meeting, the Planning staff drafted an up -dated plan which was presented at a June 5, 2000 City Planning Commission workshop. A joint public hearing of the Planning Commission and the City Council occurred on August 21, 2000. The Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan was officially adopted by the City Council on August 29. 2000. Year 2002 Up -date (Spring and Summer 2002) For the 2002 adoption, only minor changes were made to the planning document to reflect changes in the current parks system. The proposals in the plan were not altered. A draft of the 2002 Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan was presented on July 22, 2002 to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee (PRAC). A joint public hearing of the Planning Commission and the City Council occurred on , 2002. This Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan was officially adopted by the City Council on , 2002. Future Plan Update 2003 Upon adoption of this 2002 update to the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan, staff will begin work on an expanded and completely re -written version of the plan for the fall of 2003. The Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee will begin active participation in the analysis and document drafting efforts of this forthcoming completely re -written plan during the later half of 2002. Staff is also conducting a study of all facilities in the parks system to identify security and access problems and also need for maintenance and facility improvements. Phase one of this study, to be conducted in the summer of 2002, will tentatively cover Central, Fletcher, Halbouty, McLean, Perlstein, Roberts, Sprott and Wuering Heights Park. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES Goals and objectives are considered the cornerstone of any effective planning process. Among other things, goals and objectives are needed to: (1) provide direction to the planning studies; (2) to identify specific areas of concern to be researched and evaluated in the planning process; (3) to provide a mechanism for reflecting public input; and (4) to provide benchmarks for monitoring and evaluating the success of implementation actions. A distinction must, however, be made between goals and objectives. For the purposes of this Plan, a goal is defined as a "general expression" of a desired outcome, while an objective is defined as a "specific end" to be achieved through some form of action taken to achieve a goal. Generally, the more goals which are accomplished by the implementation of any single objective, the higher the priority would be for that particular objective. The actual process of formulating the goals and objectives moves from the general to the specific; first, general goals are formulated; then, after base data is collected and analyzed, the goals and objectives are refined, made more specific and adjusted to be more applicable to the issues and needs that were identified during the preliminary research and analysis phase of the planning process. Finally, in the advanced stages of the planning process, policies are formulated which are intended to provide a means of implementing specific goals and objectives. During the early preparation stage, draft goals and objectives were formulated by the planning staff using goals and objectives from a 1972 Planning Department parks study, from the 1980 "Parks and Open Space Plan", as amended, and from the "1991 Recovery Action Plan" (the City's parks and recreation rehabilitation plan for meeting UPARR grant recipient qualifications). After the data gathering, preliminary mapping, and analysis phases of the planning process were completed, the assumptions underlying the preliminary goals and objectives were re-evaluated and the goals and objectives were revised as needed. After refinement of the draft goals and objectives, a set of development and implementation policies were prepared by the planning staff using the above listed documents as source material. The intention of those efforts were to provide a policy framework to guide the future development and continued conservation of Beaumont's parks, recreational, and open space resources. The following goals, objectives and policies were recommended for City Council adoption by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee and the Planning Commission in late 1996 and early 1997 after a thorough review and with revisions of the Planning staffs draft efforts. The short and intermediate term objectives listed below are new objectives proposed to be added to the plan. GOALS - General * To insure an equitable distribution of recreational opportunities among all of Beaumont's neighborhoods. neighborhood, community, urban, regional, and special parks• * To provide a full range of Park facilities, including g cluster of neighborhoods, commonly knowas a * To provide every neighborhood with a neighborhood Park and every n. community, with a community park. n the * To improve Beaumont's aesthetic appearance and thereby enhance the quality of life of its citizens by encouraging development of green belts, the development and use of environmentally sensitive" park planning principles, and adequately supporting park beautification and maintenance efforts- To basis given to water * To preserve environmentally and aesthetically significant natural resource areas, with spec emphasis bodies, wetlands, and flood plains. * trails, and bike paths in a manner that supports development of a linear To create jogging trails, hiking paths, nature park system linking centers of urban and recreational activities with residential areas. * Provide the public with more water -oriented recreational opportunities, particularly along the Neches River and Hillebrandt Bayou. * al facilities and services that also meets the special needs of the Insure the provision of a system of balanced recreation challenged, and economically des -advantaged population. City s elderly, physically g n ace stem. * Develop and implement a planned and scheduled maintenance system for the parks, recreational, and ope sp s5' * Utilize existing park land resources at maximum efficiency. * Cooperate with other governmental units/agencies a dprivate entities such as BISD or other school districts, the YMCA, YWCA, Lamar University, state and federal agencies, and other recreational providers in increasing available open space areas and recreational opportunities for the general public. * Identify and aggressively pursue additional sources of park and recreational program funding. OBJECTIVES -General * To acquire land for new park sites in advance of the development of future residential areas. * Wherever possible, acquire land to upgrade existing parks which do not meet acreage standards. * Identify and utilize potential open space corridors along area waterways, drainage ditches, and irrigation canals as linear parks and conservation areas. * Capitalize upon the urban design and beautification value of natural areas within the city. * Continue development of Riverfront Park and explore possibilities of other recreational usage and conservation efforts along the Neches River and Hillebrandt Bayou corridors. * Use maintenance personnel and equipment as efficiently as possible. * Develop and implement a city-wide tree planting and maintenance program for public properties as a long term effort for creating and maintaining an urban forest for improving the environmental and aesthetic quality of life of the community. 6 OBJECTIVES Intermediate -Term (6 to 10 vearsl * Acquire sites and/or develop master site plans at a minimum rate of one per year * Open two new neighborhood parks. * Develop at least one new community park. * Complete at least one element of any unfinished phase of an existing park per year. * Do at least one complete or partial park renovation / rehabilitation project per year. * Dismantle and re -locate at least one existing park site having either a service area or a locational deficiency or both. * Jointly develop or initiate joint operations for two parks with BISD or other such agency. OBJECTIVES Specific Short Term Priorities tI to 5 vearsl * Develop at least one "new" community park. * Jointly develop or initiate joint operations of one park with BISD or other such agency. * Re -locate at least one park having service area or locational deficiencies. * Continue development of at least one project that involves an unfinished phase of an existing park. * Do at least one renovation / rehabilitation project. * Create one or, if funds become available, possibly two "new" neighborhood parks. POLICY STATEMENTS Implementation of this Plan will be based on the following policies: * Parks should be located and developed in accordance with the functional classification and standards system established in this Plan. * nts shall be based on an approved overall master development / re -development plan created Specific park improveme specifically for each park. * The City will emphasize neighborhood parks as the central element of the City's park system and will use its Neighborhood Planning Process to ensure that local neighborhood organizations, residents, and users of neighborhood parks shall be involved in all decisions regarding neighborhood park development / redevelopment efforts. Special facilities for the physically impaired shall be provided through out the park system. * Public involvement of residents, business interests, neighborhood organizations, and park users are considered a principle element in the City's ongoing parks, recreation, and open space planning and development process. * Where appropriate, parks and open space areas shall be planned for possible use as a buffer between conflicting or incompatible land uses. Landscaped buffers shall, where feasible, be provided between residential and commercial or industrial uses and between single-family and multi -family residential developments. 7 POLICY STATEMENTS (Continued) * Cooperation and joint utilization between school and special purpos e district facilities and City facilities shall be encouraged in the planning and provision of parks and recreational facilities and open space areagreen belt * Whenever possible, parks shall be tied together and linked through a series of open space, multi -purpose corridors. * Recreational and pedestrian / bicycle paths shall, where appropriate, be designed and developed in conjunction with drainage corridors and other water bodies in order to create a linear parks network. * In appropriate situations, cluster and planned unit developments shall be encouraged in order to provide or preserve natural areas and open spaces, is encouraged; however such land * The private donation of land to the City for parks, recreational, and open space usage will not be accepted for dedication unless the site and its location is useable and in accordance with the provisions of the Comprehensive Plan. * The Pine Island Bayou flood plain area should remain "primarily" as undeveloped open space, however, some limited recreational functions may be approved where deemed uniquely appropriate. "Recycling" of abandoned school sites and other public sites or facilities for recreational purposes will be encouraged. * State and federal funding assistance, private sector grants, and material and labor donations shall be pursued in order to increase the City's capabilities to acquire, develop, and maintain the parks system. * Although the city is committed to providing quality and up to date recreational facilities and equipment to all areas of the City, the provision of park and recreational services to those who have none generally takes priority over the replacement of already existing facilities. DEFICIENCIES IN PARK FACILITIES AND OPEN SPACE AREAS Deficiencies evident in the existing parks system were determined based on the initial inventory and analysis of the parks system conducted in the preliminary phase of the planning process. The existing conditions of the park system were then compared to standards (See Appendix C) to identify service area, locational, site size, and facility deficiencies. Table 1 on page 10 identifies these deficiencies for all parks in the Beaumont parks system. Service Area Problems When talking about the service area of a park, reference is being made to the specific area being served within a given distance of that park. For example, a neighborhood park is generally stated to specially serve those citizens living within a half mile radius of the park; thus the park has a service area of a half mile radius of its site. Beaumont's park service area standards, by applicable park classification, are provided on the fold -out map accompanying this document and in Appendix C. A "service area deficiency" occurs when an area is not served by any park or when a barrier. prohibits or severely restricts citizen's access to a park. Another type of service area problem occurs when parks are too close to one another and therefore have overlapping service areas. This overlapping of service areas results in a redundancy in the provision of services in the overlapped areas. Such inefficient use of resources needs to be corrected as soon and as best is possible. See Figures A-1 and A-2 in Appendix A. Service area problems can be corrected by the following types of action: * by the provision of new parks; * by the re -location of an existing park; * by correcting access problems which limit citizens use of a park; or * by the re-classification of a park to place it in another service area classification. Actions taken to correct the problem of service area overlapping may, in many cases, also correct for the lack of facilities in an area. By moving a park whose service area overlaps the service area of another park, the re -location can result in the extension of park and recreational opportunities to areas not previously served. Briefly, the City's current situation regarding service area problems may be summarized as follows: On the western side of the City the problem is a lack of neighborhood and community parks while on the eastern side of the City the problem is both the lack of parks in some areas and a significant degree of service area overlapping in others. For the short-term, development of new narks should be emnhasized on the west side of the city while therelocation and rehabilitation of existing parks should be the emphasis in the eastern portions of the City (See Figures A-1 and A-2 in Appendix A). Locational Problems A park may have one or more of a wide range of locational problems which may limit the quality, safety, and enjoyment of the park. These locational problems include limited accessibility, poor environmental factors such as excessive noise, pollution, or poor natural resources, and poor safety factors such as nearness to traffic, power lines, and other hazards. Such problems are difficult to correct once a park has been developed; furthermore, the scarcity of land for park development often creates a necessity to choose between a park with locational problems or no park at all. Short of re -locating parks, various planning actions and site design improvements can be implemented to overcome some of the ill effects of locational problems; for example, fencing or screening can be utilized to reduce safety, noise, and aesthetic problems. The removal of overhead power lines is another example. According to established City standards, neighborhood parks should be located near the center of a neighborhood, preferably on a local street or, if necessary, on a collector street and ideally next to an elementary school. Unfortunately, several existing Beaumont neighborhood parks are located on the periphery of their neighborhood; a location which does not allow them to serve their neighborhoods as effectively as desired. Site Size and Configuration Deficiencies Park sites need to conform to site size standards as closely as possible in order to effectively serve the population within the service area, to meet park open space standards, and also to allow for any possible future expansion of facilities within the park. For Beaumont, one of the most common park site deficiencies, particularly for neighborhood parks, is that of substandard acreage. This is due, in large part, to the fact that most of the older, inner city parks were acquired and developed before the current standards were adopted. To correct a park acreage deficiency, the following five possible courses of action might be taken. 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) Make design and facility improvements to maximize the recreational utility of the substandard site. 4) Provision of additional special parks within the substandard parks' service area. 5) Utilization of alternate sites for recreation, such as school grounds. I Ideally, the first two actions would be the preferred method of correcting site size deficiencies; however, due to the realities of J financing and land availability, the last three approaches are apt to be more workable, especially in fully developed areas where 1 vacant land is prohibitively expensive or simply non-existent. t� 9 Deficiencies in Facilities and Recreational Opportunities stem provides for a wide variety of facilities for organized sports and active types of overall, the Beaumont parks sy However, the system has less opportunities for the more passive types of recreational activities which individuals can do by themselves. Also, some of the newer recreational activities which are gaming popularity arc not provided recreation. for. Specific areas of deficiency include the following: Skateboard (Roller Blade Facility: Participants in these increasingly Popular recreational activities occasionally use streets, sidewalks, and parking facilities, which can be potentially dangerous due to poor condition or because other activities, such as traffic, are occurring on such facilities. Conflicts between rollerbladers, skateboarders, and other o result. This activity should only be performed in a safe, specially designed citizens and damage to property can als aumont Police Activities skating facility, which until recently, was not provided to skaters l Beaumont. In a also the o build a skating acid ty League (PAL) successfully opened a skating facility near Central Park. There are also p out the in Jefferson County at the Southeast Texas Entertainment CompleicnhcewII undo •skaters from be developed region. However, additional skating facilities withm Beaumont, perhaps than the complex in Jefferson County. in locations that are more accessible to neighborhood residents and pedestrians ds:' Some parks have playground equipment which are not up to the present safety standards of t play] he recreation playground equipment in industry or are antiquated and have served far past their useful lives. A exam example associated ygr the materials used need of substantial upgrading in order to remove the unacceptable safety which or design of the facility. Such facilities should be replaced as soon as possible. There are also many playgrounds or in effectively, while others are poorly located on the park site. Thus can make are far too spread out to manage observation or supervision. accessibility difficult and can also preclude effective parental and publics the equipment in a more Playgrounds ments that group unified manner. be reconfigured with equipment in play scape arrange shed Recreational Fishing: Although there are numerous bodies of water in the vicinity oareBa water bodies and water wt, there are no ays is are Y recreational land based fishing facilities or programs offered by the City.Manyandt Bayou and the LNVA canals. (See ideally suited for the development of recreational fishing, including picture next page.) tics Center: The city, and region lacks a quality, state-of-the-art aquatics center. Such a center facilities, consist to Aquasuch of a diving well, a wading pool, a main pool marked with swimming lanes, and the necessary support designed to draw from and benefit the whole metro region. as dressing rooms and offices. The facility should be 1 has been considered for many years but never built. The southwest part Swimming Pools: A third city swimming pool tential site, however a west side site might also be considered. of the city has usually been and still is considered as a po Deficiencies in the Open Space Network this Plan establishes minmum " idesirable" percentages of a parles total land area that should be Based on a pork's classification, areas. The percentage of total park acreage so reserved set aside for undeveloped natural or developed and landscaped open spaceof ark may however depend upon the uniqueness of a parks location or resources. C shy percentages g of open space by � p are provided in the legend of the fold -out map and in Table C-1 of Appendix In ace is thought of as undeveloped the context of this Plan, open space or vacant land, i.e., land not used for urban purposes such as buildings or structures. n Generally' open sp ace is that and more. Actually, the term open space should be considered as including any land, water, and air space that is perceived as a void or seam between and which acts to completely or partially physically separate urban uses or human activities. ons and sizes. They can be single parcels or a linear configuration of parcels; Open space areas can be of varying configurati open connected or not connected. Along narro�nparce�aolr and sound buffg of ering between incompatibls is often referred to as le land uses, providing reduced corridors can serve multiple functions including providing recreational flood hazards by maintaining the undeveloped and unobstructed character of natural drainage ways, and p g 10 opportunities that are adaptable to or require a linear site configuration. It is important to note that recreation is often a secondary consideration to the environmental conservation and buffering functions of open space corridors. Because of their configuration, recreation facilities in these corridors are commonly nature or pedestrian trails and bicycle paths. When possible, corridors with bike and pedestrian trails should be used to link parks to other parks, schools, or residential areas thus forming a linear park system or open space network. There are resources in Beaumont which could be utilized for the development of a linear park system which would provide increased open space and recreational opportunities within the city. The banks of natural streams or man-made canals are excellent locations for open space corridors. Utility rights of way, wooded areas, and drainage ways may also provide greenbelt corridor sites for linking the open space areas into a continuous network. However, usage of pipeline and power line rights of way should be carefully evaluated for safety considerations. City parks and private recreational open space areas such as golf courses and driving ranges form a major component of the network. Other open space is added in the form of the grounds of institutions such as universities, public schools and hospitals, and open space associated with high rise structures, office parks and industrial parks. Private open space areas required in cluster housing projects and planned unit developments should be worked into the open space network. Rear yards of residential lots backing on arterial streets can also contribute to the net effect as evidenced by the green belt effect that has occurred along portions of Phelan Boulevard in west Beaumont. Open space areas such as the one below can provide recreational opportunities such as land or pier based fishing. L.N.V.A canal rights -of -way, shown here at Piney Point Lane and Helbig Road, are an example of the resources in Beaumont which might be utilized for the development of a linear park system. 11 Hillebrandt Bayou near the entrance to Tyrrell Park. m..1,ln 1 . mAiiciencies in the Existing Parks System * Not served by any park or a barrier prohibits or restricts access to parK. ** Accessability limited, or poor environmental factors include such as security iesusive es noise, air/water pollution, or safety hazards, which in certain circumstances *** Below acreage standards or site configuration restricts use of park. ** Includes both facilities and recreational equipment. 12 PROPOSALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Current Rehabilitation Needs Rehabilitation of existing parks and recreational facilities and the adaptive re -use of commercial and industrial structures and sites or any other facilities for recreational uses are important because they can significantly contribute to the City's urban and intercity neighborhood rehabilitation effects. City funds spent in a coordinated manner for housing and recreational rehabilitation can have a greater beneficial impact on a neighborhood than if these activities were carried out separately and ts thoerynature any consideration of the positive and negative impacts such activities might have on the other. Also rehabilitation, } of involving older facilities, generally affects lower income populations; populations which also are often composed of minority and elderly persons. Therefore, rehabilitation of neighborhoods usually involves improved recreational services / facilities for those populations least likely to be able to afford or have access to such services / facilities. The advisability of remodeling, rehabilitating, or developing new facilities varies with geographic location, age and size of the existing facility, and its extent of deterioration. Development of new parks in older fully developed neighborhoods is generally not feasible due to the lack of appropriate vacant sites. Exceptions are the "adaptive reuse" potential of unused public and commercial or industrial facilities. Potential Parks and Open Space Rehabilitation Projects Rehabilitation of an existing park may encompass the replacement of obsolete or severely deteriorated equipment, structural rehabilitation of activity buildings and shelters, upgrading of dirt and hard -surface play areas, repair of damaged sidewalks and pool aprons, replacement of deteriorated, substandard swimming and wading pools, and landscaping of park and building grounds. The following parks and open space areas are potential locations for intermediate term rehabilitation projects. Alice Keith Park: Rehabilitation of the park grounds and some facilities are needed at this site. McLean Park: This park might be re -designed as a more passive recreational facility in order to reflect past expressed desires of the neighborhood. The current recreational equipment could be moved to another site in the area. Riverfront Park I, II: A variety of rehabilitation efforts are needed at Riverfront Park. Tyrrell Park: The golf course club house needs renovating and up -dating. Potential "Adal tive Re -Use" Projects. The following parks and open space areas are potential locations for intermediate term adaptive re -use projects. Edwards Elementary School Site: This potential neighborhood park site, located to the west of Detroit street between Fillmore and Wilson streets, has been reduced from approximately 10 acres to 2.57 acres in size to permit construction of a subdivision of City built homes. Access to and public visibility of the site was excellent but this is not the case now. Although the site has been on the parks plan for many years as a neighborhood park site, it can now only be considered as a potential site for a mini -park or a neighborhood park with significant restrictions on the types of facilities that can be provided. Tyrrell Park School Site: This vacant building and its adjacent large acreage playground is accessible from two streets and is located in a neighborhood composed of large lot residential uses. As this residential area develops over time, the need for a neighborhood park will increase. The nearby Tyrrell Park is a regional park and therefore does not serve the area very well as a neighborhood facility. Although not ideally located within the neighborhood, this site maybe useful for a neighborhood park or as a swap for land in a more appropriate location. 13 New Park and Park Expansion Needs That area of the city which is generally north of Delaware Street and east of Eastex Freeway is deficient in parks and recreational facilities and in open space areas. Currently, there is a minimum need of one neighborhood park for the area, however, two would be better. A new park will be needed to replace a previously leased but now closed site known as Haynes Park. Lhe followin , areas are potential locations for intermediate term new or expansion proiects. Bigner Road: A location along or in the vicinity of Bigner Road north of East Lucas and south of Bennett Road would provide a good replacement site for Haynes Neighborhood Park. Site Near Magnolia Gardens Housing Project: There are several potential park sites near Gill Street and Magnolia Gardens Housing Project which might be used for the development of anew neighborhood park. A site with frontage on Magnolia would be desirable because of the greater public visibility and improved accessibly that could be provided by such a site. Barrett / Savery Road Area Piney Point Lane / Sherwood Street Area Plant Rd. Area East of Helbig For the central city area, i.e., within IH-10 and Cardinal Drive (Loop 251) there is a significant need for re -locating existing parks but a lesser need for developing new parks. The following areas are potential locations for intermediate term new or expansion projects. Bingman School: Approximately one-half of this school site, located on the corner of Florida and S. Kenneth, is underutilized and could be jointly used by the City and B.I. S.D. for recreational purposes. Although the site is somewhat small, this proposal solves the problem of having to acquire expensive developed land. Dick Dowling Area: This area, which has lost a significant portion of its population and residential structures, is a potential residential re -development area that, if developed, would contribute significantly to the economic redevelopment of downtown Beaumont. Development of a park as the centerpiece of that re -development effort should be considered. The park should be designed to serve the specific needs of re -development efforts and also as a re- placement for Weiss Park, which no longer functions as a neighborhood park. Dolores Street Site: Using the undeveloped right-of-way of Dolores Street between Fannett Road and Washington Boulevard plus the acquisition of some scattered lots adjacent to that R/W would permit the City to provide a linear park serving the area west of Fourth Street between Cardinal Drive and Washington Street. This would permit bike and pedestrian access to the Price Elementary school and between the two large apartment complexes of Washington Homes and Virginia Manor. Fourth Street Acres Site: The area between Washington and Blanchette west of Fourth Street needs a neighborhood park to serve its current needs. Ideally, the site would be as centrally located as possible. Riverfront Park III: Continued expansion and development of the downtown river front is desirable. The Cityshould continue the northward expansion of Riverfront Park and provide for the development of additional access points to the park and signs identifying it. SprottPark: Additional land near and adjacent to this park might be acquired and additional facilities built to permit this site to better meet community park standards. St. Anthony's Church Area: St. Anthony's Church is an important element of Beaumont's past and future and should be given a more prominent visual presence in the future of downtown Beaumont. Vacant and dilapidated properties in the vicinity of the church could be used to create an open space or special use park with the church as the focal point of the park as seen from nearby streets. This proposal could provide downtown with a significant new "People Place" that would not only improve the looks of downtown, but contribute to the economic re -development of the area. 14 For the western side of Beaumont, i.e., west of Eastex Freeway and IH-10, the City,s parks and recreational facilities particularly f rly re more parks and recreational facilities, the new with little or no rehabilitation work needed. What is needed a form of neighborhood facilities. The following areas are potential locations for intermediate term new or expansion proiects. Dishman / Delaware Connector Road Area (Neighborhood Park) Folsom Between Major and Dowlen Roads (Community Park) Northwest Beaumont (Voth) Area (Community Park) Boreley Heights (Old Voth Rd. / Hurly Rd.) Area (Neighborhood Park) Parkdale Mall-Dowlen Rd. / Hwy. 105 Area (Neighborhood Park) The Meadows Retention Basin (Community Park) Tram Rd./ West of City Limits (Community Park) 23rd and Cartwright St. Area (Neighborhood Park) Wooten Rd. / Shady Ln. Area (Neighborhood Park) Walden Rd. / Major Dr. Area / Dishman Elementary Area (Community Park) Re -location / Re-classification Needs Charlton -Pollard Area: That portion of Pipkin Park located west of Pennsylvania Avenue is poorly used and should be re -located to a more accessible site within the neighborhood. Preferably, the site should be located west of Park Street and south of Langham Street. Fletcher Park: Fletcher Park either needs to be moved to a new location adjacent to or as apart of Fletcher Elementary School or the present site expanded or closed. If moved near Fletcher School, the project should be developed as a neighborhood park and as a joint venture between BISD and the City as BISD expands and remodels the school. EOld Town Area: Because Ida Reed Park does not serve the neighborhood very well in its current location, it could be re -located to a site more accessible to the residents of the area. With the site bordering IH-10, it could be sold for commercial / office use and the proceeds used to relocate the park at another location. If McLean Park is redesigned and redeveloped to emphasize passive recreational activities as indicated in a past neighborhood survey, a new neighborhood or community park providing the more active recreational activities might be developed near Smart Street, possibly in conjunction with the existing recreational facilities of Central High School. Consideration of this option should only occur in conjunction with the development and adoption of a neighborhood plan for the area. Weiss Park: This park is no longer needed as a neighborhood park because the residential population has moved from ` the area. Because the park is in such a prominent location, consideration should be given to the possibility of re- designing and re -developing the park, possibly reflecting a commemorative theme based on the monument located at the center of the site or some other historical aspect of Beaumont's past. _I South Park Area: Chaison Park is poorly located and occupies too small a site to provide the recreational needs expected from a neighborhood park. It is suggested that either this park be entirely re -located to new, larger, more appropriate site in the vicinity, or some of the park equipment be removed and relocated to a new site within the vicinity. Open Space Needs This Plan encourages the development of a linear parks system to provide for increased open space within the City. Not only (I would a city wide linear park system make a significant amount of park and recreation space accessible, it could also improve !) pedestrian access to the central business district, schools, commercial areas, and places of employment. Such a system could provide benefits far beyond recreation. It could serve as a catalyst for neighborhood revitalization and sustainable growth. The following is a discussion of areas in Beaumont which could possibly further contribute to the formation of a linear park system. d 15 Significant Natural Resource Areas: Significant natural resource areas, as defined in the context of this Plan re areas wage ways and preserve wildlife and plant habitats, wetlands, natural wooded areas, watercourses or other bodies of water, watersheds, and water recharge areas. The flood plains of the Neches River and Pine Island and Hillebrandt Bayous shoulbe recognized as significant natural resources which could provide the basis for an extended parks and openp system. Protection of these areas from further encroachment would not only provide valuable land for addition to the parks system, but also may reduce the need for future flood -control or drainage improvements. HillebrandtBayou is a large watercourse located in the southern portion of Beaumont's ETJ which provides habitat ofor signifil nt amounts of wildlife as well as attractive vistas of the area. The recreational potential of this watercourse has yet a be amount Crossings of Hillebrandt Bayou at Humble Road and Hillebrandt Road are already beginning to experience of recreational use such as boating and fishing activities without the existence of developed piers, boat ramps, picnic areas, or parking spaces. These ds associated with Hillebrandt Bayou mao areas could become a major yarrt water -oriented conservationarecreational easement ins in the tilefuture in orden. r numerous acres of wetlands protect those natural resources and wildlife. Drainage ways and Irri>Yation Canals: Beaumont is Criss -crossed with major drainage ways and irrigation canals. These open space corridors provide opportunities for linear park or "greenbelt" development, which can include hike and bike patlus, jogging paths, landscaped passive recreation areas, or can serve simply as visually interesting buffers between land uses. Full exploitation of these existing open -space corridors will require cooperation between the City, Drainage District No. 6 and the Lower Neches Valley River Authority. Any use of these corridors should be designed in such away to minimize safety hazards to potential users and should not interfere with the primary functions of the drainage and irrigation facilities. Furthermore, the general lack of parks in the west sid&of town further emphasizes the importance of keeping canals and drainage ditches in mind when choosing the location of new parks. These canals could possibly accommodate water -oriented recreational activities such as un-motorized boating, rowing, or canoeing. Transportation and Utility R.O W.'s and Easements: Transportation and utility rights -of -way and easements can serve as pedestrian and bikeway corridors between residential areas and commercial areas, park and recreational facilities, and natural resourceareas. They also provide valuable green or open space areas for people living and working in urbanized areas since road rights -of -way often contain landscaped green spaces, especially along thoroughfares like Phelan Boulevard. Larger open spaces exist among the IH -10 and Eastex Freeway rights -of -way. M.L.K. Parkway has also provided a great deal of new landscaped open space for the older intercity area of Beaumont. Beaumont also has a significant amount of railroad rights -of -way which cover every area of town and have a great potential for connecting residential, commercial, recreational and open space areas. Perhaps abandoned railroad rights -of -way could be utilized as connector trails in the east side of the city where canals and drainage ditches are scarce. Close cooperation with the railroad companies would be required to accomplish this. Retention Ponds: Located west of Dowlen Road and surrounding Folsom Road is a new water retention facility, which provides a significant amount of permanent open green space. This area could however be adapted to a recreational use and is a prime location for a future community park. Another benefit to this site are the many drainage ways in the immediate vicinity which could accommodate connector trails. Another retention facility which was completed several years ago is the Meadows facility south of Dish man Road. This facility has been developed with soccer fields but still has sufficient land to provide for a neighborhood or community park. 16 Table 2: Method of Needs Assessment Used for the Identification of Potential Projects Short and Intermediate Term Potential Projects Standard Based Resource Based Demand Based Alice Keith Renovations x x Athletic Complex Improvements x x Bigner Road Park x Bingman School Site x x Boreley Heights Area Park x Carroll Street Park Relocation x x Collier's Ferry Park Continued Dev. x Dolores Street Park x x x Edwards School Site Park x x Fletcher Park Relocation x x x Fourth Street Acres Site x Gill St./Magnolia Gardens Area Park x Ida Reed Park Relocation x Lefler Park Expansion x McLean Park Redevelopment x Pipkin Park Relocation x Riverfront Park Expansion & Renovation x x Sprott Park Expansion x x Tyrrell Park Renovations x Walden Rd./Major Dr. Community Park x x Weiss Park Redevelopment x Wooten Rd./Shady Ln. Area Park x 17 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN This plan contains a Five -Year "Action Plan" composed of "prioritized objectives" which are intended toprovide guidance in cl a over preparation of the City's Five -Year Capital Improvements Plan (CIP). Those prioritized objectives may, however, sang time because of funds availability, work scheduling or coordination those short-_ent term aprojedselays and " which the City has difficulties. The City's "Capital Improvements "Program" imp rt to im lement during the five years determined, through the public hearing process, that it has the resources and public suppo P covered by the CEP. The list of specific, non -prioritized projects identified below as "potential short and intermediate term projects" are generally intended to be the soure source of projects to be included in futuannual updates to the GIP. Any specific listed and prioritized objective of the Five -Year Plan. listed project can be used to implement a specifically CURRENT 2003 -2008 CIP PARKS SYSTEM PROJECTS - City of Beaumont 2003 Projects -Design /Construction Phase Estimated Cost $ 303,900 Athletic Complex Tennis Courts Charlton Pollard Neighborhood Park *** $ 1,2,000 Cottonwood and Magnolia Park Improvements $ $ 3 ,00 3 50 Fletcher Mini -Park Improvements $ ,000 250,000 McLean and Roberts Park Improvements $ 1,000,000" Neches River Hike and Bike Trail $ 50,000 Pony League Baseball Field $ 175,000 Sprott, Rogers and Central Park Spray Devices POTENTIAL SHORT-TERM (1-5 years) AND INTERMEDIATE -TERM (4 -10 years) PROJECTS (Non -Prioritized) Estimated Cost Alice Keith Park Walking Path **** 150,000 Alice Keith Park Restroom Rehab. 125,000 Bigner Road Park * N/A Bingman School Site*** N/A Boreley Heights Area Park * N/A Central Park Tennis Courts **** 62,000 Collier's Ferry Park Bank Stabilization**** 1,690,000 Collier's Ferry Park Expansion **** 250,000 Dolores Street Park ** N/A Edwards School Site Park *** N/A Fletcher Park (Relocation)** N/A Fourth Street Acres Site* N/A Gill St./Magnolia Gardens Area Park * NSA Ida Reed Park (Relocation) Estimated Cost Lefler Park **** 150,000 McLean Park (Re -development) N/A Perlstein Park (Phase 2) **** 150,000 Pipkin Park (Relocation) N/A Playground Renovations (Phase 2)5 150,000 Riverfront Park Phase 3 6 720,000 Riverfront park (Bank Stabilization)**** 1,135,000 Sprott Park Expansion * N/A Tyrrell Park Clubhouse **** 475,000 Tyrrell Park Horse Stables Rehab. N/A Walden Road Community Park ** N/A Weiss Park (Re -development) N/A Wooten Rd./ Shady Ln. Area Park * N/A Note Projects shown with an estimated cost are considered as having reached the project planning phase. **** Continued Development or Rehabilitation * Acquisition ** Acquisition and Development *** Development Funded as a transportation project. Total project cost estimated at S3,400,000. 5 Includes playground renovations to Alice Keith Park and Chaison Park. 6 Purchase of the Port Interchange Yard. 18 H W w 00 O O N 9 I A 0 0 N m e� f3� b 0 � CL � b o�s o W W4� to° :c .a a� �z���o Z 1x.. Q4 a a N U co w O o A a0 e"d � .4 a � o w crd •ti O' U t'Oi� >" O a P, 'x,' 'n o •a a bz°>.� co •c .� r4 Appendix A INVENTORY O z — y E E E E E E E � o N (n Cl CO � r co o m co o vi COr N N r r V >C > o xxxx XXXXX XXXxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXxx M U _ a toQ N CDN d N N N N N N V M y C ` y U (D E r r � U p U a) v 0 2 2 h N U) r r Im c E r N 3 r H N N r N N N N N N N N IN N N N N M fC m N C N al H $O r r r r r r r r r N a� EX X X X Ix x Ix Ix x Ix X X x X X X x X X x x X x x X x X x x M w V N O X X I X X X X X X XXXXX X X X X X X X X X X X X X X x N as CO O O O t G Om NOOLfJ O��N t`MNaotiCN7((D O (p Oj N Q V N N N CM O N (V N N N N N (O N N VN N O DO V� N r N N N LO n T U��zz�z(nzz(nzzzzzzzUUZUzzzz() C)C)w �(n H r (p r O LO O M N O (o O 00 11 ti N r O f� C'7 ('7 Q1 Q> a0 tf) O N— O I` In O O N d' a) lI7 In co w In N I� O N h W O N r' �' O) r f� r (O I� N O) 0 m O O O O O D1 O O O) O O O O O O O O O O) Q) O) m 0) O) O O) O O O O O O a — a, ]QE) U O U) C In � o N �" ca o C 'C `I O fl] — �-oN wO o O N o 'Q O = °) , E o Q' p C O m C m J (n a) CIt �[ a) 00 a L N w O 2 c`a .�, a�i .� t o 0 o (D a� w U o— o .n m o ro m ca c> ,E >_ oQUUUUoux���aa'a�wcnt I II r�- ZE a Cd G 0 tw x Figure A-1 : NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS V2 MILE SERVICE AREA COVERAGE Ptcpued by the Planning Divisioa, City of Beaumont, Tcxas 2006 Figure A-2 : COMMUNITY PARKS 1 MILE SERVICE AREA COVERAGE Prepared by the Planning Division, city of Beaumont, Texas 2000 11 Appendix B DEMOGRAPHICS Figure B - 1 I Table B-1 POPULATION CHANGE BY CENSUS TRACT: 1990 TO 2000 3833 4185 352 9.2 1.01 (pt.) 1897 2141 244 12.9 1.02 2612 3084 472 18.1 1.03 (pt.) 4288 4412 124 2.9 2 3.01 (pt.) 5966 7027 1061 17.8 19.1 3.02 4570 5443 873 3.04 6420 6093 -327 -5.1 3.05 7451 7350 -101 -1.4 -1.1 3.06 4042 3997 -45 0.2 4 4264 4271 7 5 2558 2639 81 3.2 6372 6458 86 1.4 6 3455 3779 -588 A 7.0 7 912 see ct 7 see ct 7 see ct 7 8 (pt.) 2276 1631 -645 -28.3 9 10 (pt.) 149 7 1739 -400 -26.7 3425 2722 -703 -20.5 11 2150 2622 -145 -6.7 12 13.01 5419 5466 47 0.9 13.02 (pt.) 3116 2905 -211 -6.8 13.03 (pt.) 2267 3021 754 33.3 ct 12 617 see ct 12 see ct 12 see 14 642 see ct 10 see ct 10 see ct 10 15 911 104 -807 -88.6 2171 -844 -38.9 17 1449 s2776 see ct 17 see ct 17 see ct 17 18 (pt.) 3064 3078 14 0.5 19 20 2464 2630 166 6.7 21 4125 3881 -244 -5.9 22 (pt.) 3108 2601 -507 -16.3 23 5124 4334 -790 -15.4 24 2995 3126 131 4.4 25 (pt.) 3592 4222 630 17.5 26 (pt.) 5125 5243 118 2.3 112 (pt.) 73 nla n/a nla 114 (pt.) 73 n/a Na . _.. n/a A A Changes in 2000: 8 merged with 7, 14 merged with 12, 15 merged with 10, and 18 merged with 17. Data not yet available for 112 and 114. source: U.S. Bureau of Cerism 140000 120000 100000 80000 60000 40000 20000 0 Figure B-2 Ponulation Trends 1920 to 2000 Plus Projections to 2020 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 zuuu- Zulu -14uw Beaumont Population l *Projections: year 2010 2020 POP. 129545 137434 Sources: U.S. Bureau of Census • Projections from the 1995 Water Quality Management Plan, Southeast Texas Regional Planning Commission. Preliminary projections for the Draft 2002 Water Quality f Management Plan reduces projections for 2010 to 120,800 and 2020 to 128,157. 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 Figure B-3 1990* Population by Age Group and Sex 0 to 4 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 to 19 20 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 DD w" WWI" Female 0 Male I Source: U.S. Bureau of Census • 2000 data not yet available �N Figure B-4 2000 Ethnic/ Racial Characteristics White - 42.7% Other - 3.89'o i;;;ie - 7.9°%o Black - 45.6% white Black ■ Hispanic ■ Odw Source: U.S.. Bureau of Census Figure B-5 Changes in Ethnic/ Racial Characteristics 1980-2000 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0•/ 1980 1990 20M Whit,, Black ■ Hispania Other MUrCe: U.a. nuccuu Ui Appendix C STANDARDS AND DESIGN CONCEPTS cu Y c c c cu L ID a) o O o CD cu Q V) ' O L CU U 7 O O CO 4 O U � L � cu cu W ui vi vi vi L vi cu a a) a) a) a) O Z 3 c 0 co c c c ca ca ° >M Ca cu > U > U > E > Q U 0 �bA > O N Y cD 'c V) N 0 N c N 'O P � O Y `° o u) V cu "' U L U .r` rn a) c � U � O rn a) ,c cu cd o+ Q �L a� ° C. N c° N u°i vi aa) 0 J c Q.cv— �c n m (D r �' E � cuvi UT cu m E a� VrCho ca =o O 0 � c � � o LLJ a) U U U) .. L O C , y n �' o, c�C: Ea)c�u o y4. � C) W W lL U O d O cu �u 0 C) N N 3 O E O) cu c Z3 .0 In + U .O >+ 4) O ' O (B •- O)co cC L � M O L E V C m _ U U r cuO R b L a) ^ C U) u) OY a) (D U O E L o 0 c cu � 'ea m cu oCIS > LO > a°) W > E (A 13. 3 0 Y vi v �' V) a) ai ,� a C O O c9 c U vi � CD�+ C P p 4) p L (LV — T m .O v) cu m O ¢ o c o= b cu c c ° a C U - c9 p o O a) .0 OL d = 0 — E bA �o a) o c c o$ ai cco E u°i e- c> a>1Eo ma)� O E°c°cucu o V 0cccu)'0)cu au) st T- Z o oN W 0 V O 0 0 0 () U c u) a)N s � uS "� 0 E a: ° 0 Ov o c o ai N a a) U) a) �' o• a: 2 Y 2 0 o w o c c a c=n c C: � cu °' � � a ° L o 0 0 E ?+ ° a) N 0 o G =p o Er cL `-� a) `C o� 3 0 - 2 � 0 o m o o E o cu Cl) cn — .o p o !�s Wo o c °o cu 0)— ) a) >1 a a Z ►O o a) 'a) o- c cu cu m m a) o M O fV Z C U �/J (V '0 3 4= n> c C7 O w~ Z U 3 w W O z W a p m 0 U Q p O F- cn W H � wIx ow 0 a 00 ¢ rn ¢ a cn U. Appendix C: Neighborhood Unit Concept STANDARDS AND DESIGN CONCEPTS One of the most widely utilized planning principles is the neighborhood unit concept. The neighborhood is often described as the basic building block of urban planning. Figure C - 1 illustrates the neighborhood unitconcept, ban� major emphasis on a centrally school site, and collector park and elementary streets which route internal traffic to major thoroughfares without bisecting e neighborhood erh the or encouraging through cto neighborhood. The practice of providing each neighborhood with a centrally located neighborhood park is beneficial to neighborhood residents in a number of children can walk or bicycle to the p crossing major thoroughfares, neighborhood residents are provided with a scenic open space recreation area, new parks can be specifically planned to meet the unique needs of neighborhood residents based upon age composition, and the park can help in providing the neighborhood with a sense of identity. Lower DensWes Nerood cente�(school8 parka Maio coWtor street District Center Figure C-1 : The Neighborhood Unit Concept Activity Center Concept In order to i neet these needs, people, facilities, and al The arrangem ent Concept ofpublic facilities and services to meet human needs in an efficient, economical, safe and function manner is one of the principal reasons for comprehensive urban p annmg. le and services together: distribution mechanisms for bringing people services must be brought together. There are two primary rtation of people to facilities. In other words, services and of facilities and services throughout the urban area, and transportation to the services and facilities. Each method has its ial, environmental, facilities can be taken to the people, or the people can ra el,antransported for distribution of facilities reduces the need for travel, On the other hand not all aril ties can bedistributedeasily or advantages;rtation systems. and energy costs associated with urban trans Po rate efficiently. economically, especially if they must be of a certain minimum size to ope transportation nor distribution can individually meet the people's needs for access to services and facilities; Mobility varies Obviously, neither and accessibility f facilities is constrained by size, efficiency and economy, both methods must be used to make services andfacilities o hlities available equitably, efficiently and conveniently. Brent distances according to age, sex and income, while distribution radii upon characterized having various sizes of geographic service areas, depending Po requirements. For this reason, cities are s etu�in a hierarylial arrangement wherein people must ce areas, to reach different facilities and the facilities the function of the facility. All elements of Beaumont's Comprehensive Plan, including the Parks and Open Space purposes: element, are based in part upon this hierarchy of human activity centers. The activity center hierarchy serves the following 1) providing for each age, sex and income group a set of appropriate facilities; 2) determining for each set of facilities a service area; 3) establishing an activity center for each service area; and 4) facilitating the development of a hierarchy of neighborhoods, districts, communities and regions based on successively wider interests and activities. The following sections define and explain each of the six types of activity centers used in the formulation of all elements of the Comprehensive Plan. It should be noted that the term "center" refers to a cluster of facilities rather than a single building. Neighborhood Center: The neighborhood center is located in the approximate geographical center of a residential neighborhood. The neighborhood is approximately I square mile in area, although the actual size depends on a combination of natural and man-made features. In most cases, thoroughfares that are routed around the perimeter of the neighborhood fonn its boundary. The neighborhood center includes an elementary school and neighborhood park and can also include social services facilities for the residents of the neighborhood. The center is primarily pedestrian oriented although collector streets and bikeways do provide for automotive and bicycle accessibility. District Centers: l District centers are located at major thoroughfare intersections at the approximate geographical center and convergence of three to five neighborhoods. They may include and support a broad range of activities, facilities and services such as neighborhood shopping centers, professional office facilities, recreational facilities, junior high schools, churches, C1 ( branch libraries, fire fighting facilities, and higher density residential development. Community Centers: Community centers are located at major thoroughfare intersections at the approximate geographical center of three to five districts. The community center, as a development concept, is essentially the same as the district center concept but expanded and refined in function, size and service capability. It may include community shopping centers, satellite health clinics, high schools, churches, office complexes, community recreational facilities, and higher density residential developments. Regional Centers: Regional centers are located at interchanges of major circumferential and radial freeways or expressways near the approximate geographical center of each region. They may include hospitals, branch libraries, governmental agencies, major office complexes, regional shopping centers, and higher density residential development. Metropolitan Centers: Metropolitan centers may include a downtown retail trade, financial institutions, high-rise offices and residential facilities, hotels, major convention and tourist facilities, cultural centers, recreational facilities, entertainment facilities, and major governmental offices. The five types of centers that have been reviewed will not necessarily have all of the preceding facilities, but would differ in character and composition in accordance with the various unique needs of each particular service area. _Mtdti Purpose Corridors: Multi -purpose corridors are located along freeways and expressways and can include highway oriented commercial facilities, wholesale and warehousing operations, restricted light industry, business offices, hotels and motels, and higher density residential uses. Application of the Activity Center Concept to the Park and Open Space System: Table C-1 describes the hierarchical arrangement of urban parks and lists standards for each type of park. The hierarchy contains neighborhood, community, urban , regional and special use park classifications. Neighborhood parks should be located in neighborhood activity centers; community parks should be located in district or community activity centers; urban parks should be located in either regional or metropolitan centers. Regional parks, because of their size and requirement for substantial scenic natural areas, are generally not located in activity centers. Special use facilities can be located in district, community, metropolitan, regional, or multipurpose corridor activity centers. Open space corridors could theoretically pass through any type of activity center, and, where possible, should be utilized as connecting pedestrian and bicycle corridors between activity centers. Appendix D SURVEY AND INVENTORY FORMS City of Beaumont, Texas PARKS, RECREATIONAL FACILITIES, AND OPEN SPACE SYSTEMS INVENTORY AND EVALUATIONS REPORT Page 1 of 4. Park or Facility Name: Date Acquired: Location: Address: This park/f tcility is classified as a Area; square feet or acres. Area Meets standard? — Yes; _ No. Site Master Plan Prepared: _Yes —No; Adopted: _ Yes _ No. Site Master Plan needs --- _ major updating; _ some updating; _ no updating. Site Analysis: Automobile access to site is --- Good; Fair; or Poor. Access to site by bus is --- Good; Fair; ; Poor; or non-existent. Pedestrian access to site is Good; Fair; Poor; or — is non-existent. Lighting is adequate --- in all areas; in some areas; ' or _ in no area. Vandalism is --- a significant problem;2 a minor problem;' or is not a problem. Layout of park, as it relates to public safety, is -- _ Good; _ Satisfactory; or _, Un-Satisfactory. ° Impacts of nearby land uses have a --- positive or negative impact' on the site? Impacts of use of site has a --- positive or negative impact 6 on adjacent properties? 'Identify areas needing lighting s Identify significant problem areas ' Identify minor problem areas - ' Problem(s) exist in the following areas - 'Identify negative impacts - 6 Identify negative impacts - City of Beaumont, Texas PARKS, RECREATIONAL FACILITIES, AND OPEN SPACE SYSTEMS INVENTORY AND EVALUATIONS REPORT Page 2 of 4. Park or Facility Name: Facilities Evaluation: Condition Size' Remarks a # T nLsig on (Number Buildings: New Good Fair' Poor 4 of) 2 --- — — 3 _- 4 T--- - - - 5 -- -- — _ 6 ------— — — 7 — — 8 ---------. — Creative Play Area: 9-------- — — . 10 — 12 ----- — 13 — — — — 14 Describe in sq.ft. or by dimensions (50' x 100'). s Write comments on back of this page and label comment with corresponding number shown in left most column. 3 Describe deficiencies on back of this Page and label comments using corresponding number in left most column. "Describe deficiencies on back of this Page and label comments using corresponding number in left most column. City of Beaumont, Texas PARKS, RECREATIONAL FACILITIES, AND OPEN SPACE SYSTEMS INVENTORY AND EVALUATIONS REPORT Page 3 of 4 . Park or Facility Name: Facilities Evaluation: (Continued) # Tme Description Remarks 2 Condition Size' (Number Other Facilities New Good Fair' Poor' of) 15 — — — — 16 — — — — 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 ll I J I Describe in sq.ft. or by dimensions ( 50' x 100'). 2 Write comments on back of this page and label comment with corresponding number shown in left most column. 3 Describe deficiencies on back of this page and label comments using corresponding number in left most column. 4 Describe deficiencies on back of this page and label comments using corresponding number in left most column. (Continued Next Page) City of Beaumont, Texas PARKS, RECREATIONAL FACILITIES, AND OPEN SPACE SYSTEMS INVENTORY AND EVALUATIONS REPORT Page 4 of 4, Park or Facility Name: Facilities Evaluation: (Continued) # Tvpe Description Condition Size' New Good Fairs Poor 4 Other Facilities (Continued) 31 32 Landscaping: 33 Grass 34 Ground Cover 35 Shrubs 36 Flowers (annuals) 37 Flowers (perennial) 38 Trees 39 Statues 40 Sculpture(s) 41 42 Remarks a (Number of) Signage: 43 Nameplate 44 Directional — — — — — 45 Informational 'Describe in sq.ft, or by dimensions ( 50' x 100'). 2 Write comments on back of this page and label comment with corresponding number shown in left most column. 3 Describe deficiencies on back of this page and label comments using corresponding number in left most column. 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