Agenda - 02-26-1996 - 5a - Laserfiche WebLink

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1 9 0'79 The second set of projections was prepared in June, 1992 following the 1990 Census and resulted in lower population numbers than used in the Master Recreation &Parks Plan. As an example, the projected 1990 population was 108,663, but the actual Census figure was 93,851, a difference of 14 %. Since the 1992 projections reflect more up-to-date growth rates, they are used as the basis for projecting park needs in this report. Per Household. Shown on Table 3 is the number of persons per household in Orange County, by township. Although the percentage of persons in households is lower in Chapel Hill township due to the student population, the overwhelming majority of persons reside in households and thus provide the basis for equating park needs and costs with residential dwelling units. Service Standards A "service standard" is generally expressed in terms related to land development; e.g., a service standard for parks and recreation might be expressed in terms of acres of parkland per 1,000 population. When such standards are used in determining need, they are best established within the Comprehensive Plan. Orange County adopted a Master Recreation & Parks Plan in July of 1988, and, at the same time, approved the Plan as the Recreation Element of the Comprehensive Plan. Parkland Requirements. As noted at the beginning of this report, the amount of land to be dedicated was based on a standard of 10.50 acres of developed open space per 1,000 population as recommended by the National Recreation & Parks Association (NRPA), The standard represented the upper limit of the minimum standard for establishment of a"core" system of park lands, including the following: • Mini-parks, based on a standard of 0.5 acres per 1,000 population; • Neighborhood parks, based on a standard of 2.0 acres per 1,000 population; and • Community parks, based on a standard of 8.0 acres per 1,000 population. The Master Recreation &Parks Plan presented a similar but slightly expanded set of standards, including: • Neighborhood parks, based on a standard of 2.5 acres per 1,000 population; • Community parks, based on a standard of 2.5 acres per 1,000 population: • District parks, based on a standard of 5.0 acres per 1,000 population; and • Regional parks, based on an average of 7.5 acres per 1,000 population. The service standard as well as the size range, population served, and service area for each park classification above are shown on Table 4. Although the combined standard of 17.5 acres per 1,000 population is higher than that used in the calculation of land dedication requirements (10.5 acres per 1,000), the Master Recreation & Parks Plan recommends that only community and district parks be provided by the County. Neighborhood parks are more appropriately provided by municipalities where densities are higher, and the Eno River State Park and Duke Forest are meeting regional park needs. Furthermore, the Master Recreation &Parks Plan recommends that