A two week hiatus seems to have significantly affected City Link’s ability to form logical thoughts. Or maybe it has always been that way?
Fortunately for devoted readers, City Link still remembers how to bore you with the mysterious details of planning in Oregon. In keeping with that tradition, City Link has prepared an especially fun topic for today’s edition: park planning. What could be more fun than a Parks Master Plan?
Okay for normal people, maybe a lot of things are more fun than a Parks Master Plan. But for planners, parks planning is sort of like a Caribbean cruise, a day on the ski slopes, or a visit to Krispy Kreme. At the very least, a Parks Master Plan is an excuse to stay away from ORSs and OARs.
Or is it?
The state of Oregon says cities can plan for parks if they want to. But they have to follow the rules listed in OAR 660. Cities can make sure they follow all the rules by creating a Parks Master Plan. It sounds official and complicated, but a Parks Master Plan is really just a document that shows 1) where all the existing parks are; 2) where possible new parks should go; and 3) how much it will cost.
A Parks Master Plan can help a city like Sweet Home craft a long term strategy for parks. Because maintaining a park system can sometimes mean building a new playground, planting new trees, or buying new property, it is especially important for a city to know exactly it will need in the future to meet its park needs. Most Parks Master Plans look at a 20 year time span. For instance, Sweet Home may have enough playgrounds and picnic areas now. But what about 20 years from now?
It just makes good business sense for the City to think ahead so that it can make short term improvements while keeping an eye out for good opportunities for the long term. Planners love to answer questions about parks planning. So if you have any, please call 367-8113. Step in out of the cold at City Hall, 1140 12th Avenue.