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t <br /> Although the three jurisdictions use different formulae to define their recreation and park <br /> requirements within their Land Use Ordinances, the philosophy and intent of all are the same. <br /> It is recommended that the three Planning Departments consider developing a most preferred <br /> set of recreation requirements that could be included in all three jurisdictions' Land Use <br /> Ordinances. <br /> III. School/Government Coordination <br /> Introduction <br /> Combining new schools with new parks benefits the entire community. The school/park <br /> concept is a cost-effective approach to providing public facilities for Orange County. A <br /> school campus typically defines and serves as the focal point for neighborhood use of its <br /> indoor and outdoor facilities. The school/park concept can enable capital and operational <br /> cost savings while providing the optimum facilities for both school and after-school use. <br /> Because school campuses generally have facilities in place that are needed for public <br /> parks (i.e., open play fields, parking lots, water and sewer connections, electricity, and <br /> road systems to campuses) the school/park concept is a cost effective approach to <br /> providing public recreational facilities to all residents and saves the tax payers many <br /> thousands of dollars because the purchase of additional park land is not required. <br /> Opportunities exist for joint management, locating, and operation of school/park <br /> facilities. <br /> • Joint Management - The Recreation and Park Work Group reviewed the facility use <br /> agreements of the Orange County School System and the Chapel Hill/Carrboro City <br /> School System. Both systems arc similar in their agreements with the Recreation and <br /> Parks Departments and provide facility use for little or no fee charged. There are nine <br /> school sites available in the County School System and twelve in the Chapel <br /> Hill/Carrboro School System that are existing or under construction. All three <br /> Recreation and Parks Departments rely greatly on the use of school facilities. <br /> Although the outdoor athletic facilities are widely used; auditoriums, arts and music <br /> rooms, media centers, and gymnasiums are under great demand as well. The number <br /> of school sites that are presently being used or have been used in the past include all <br /> ten completed school sites in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro School System and eight of the <br /> nine school sites in the County School System. <br /> • Joint Site Location - Many of the existing school sites throughout Orange County <br /> were not developed for community use. Outdoor recreation areas were not <br /> considered at the time of construction. Surplus land exists at some of the school <br /> campuses around the county. <br /> Page 9 <br />