Agenda - 03-05-1997 - 9a - Laserfiche WebLink

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6 ' Adopted 5/14/96 Revised 10/1/96 RECREATION&PARKS GOAL: UPDATE THE MASTER RECREATION&PARKS FOR ORANGE COUNTY This g oal involves updating the Master Recreation ation&Parks Plan adopted in 1988. Issues have arisen which suggest an update is needed, and a recent report to the Assembly of Governments cited the need for standardization of recreation and park standards,and the siting, design,and management of school and park sites across jurisdictional lines. BACKGROUND&OBJECTIVES At the February, 1996 public hearing, proposed amendments to the recreation dedication/payment-in-lieu provisions were presented. Among the recommendations contained in the report was the suggestion that consideration be given to updating the Master Recreation & Parks Plan. The rationale for this recommendation was that the Plan was eight years old, and issues had arisen which suggested an update was warranted,including the following: • The relationship between existing and proposed school sites,and proposed parks; • The development of"small area plans" in the northern portions of Chapel Hill and Carrboro and the impact, if any,that proposed park sites in those areas would have on the need for"County"facilities; • The utilization of landfill and reservoir sites,both existing and proposed,as possible recreation sites; • The discussion of strategies for preserving natural and cultural resources through open space design, including the relationship of these resources to active and passive recreational pursuits;and • The evolution of a Recreation & Parks Advisory Board for the Town of Hillsborough and the role the Town would play in the provision of recreational facilities. At about the same time,a report was presented to the Assembly of Governments by the Recreation&Parks Work Group, a group comprised of elected officials and Recreation & Parks staff from the municipalities and County. The report focused on"Recreation & Park Issues in Orange County" and recommended three specific actions,including: • Standardization of recreation sections of land use ordinances across jurisdictions, particularly with respect to the standards used to define recreation and parks requirements; • Employment of joint siting, designing, and management of school and park sites across jurisdictions, particularly with respect to planning all new school sites to include park facilities and existing schools improved with such amenities where mutually beneficial;and • Using public/private partnerships across jurisdictions.