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5 / 18 / 99 <br /> • Focus on greater community needs and the downside of not <br /> 9 Y <br /> providing active facilities ; <br /> • Work to better define the type of land appropriate for active <br /> facilities with lights - locating adjacent to schools and other more - <br /> intensive uses ; <br /> • Stress accessibility to pedestrians bicycle riders , and public <br /> transportation ;. <br /> • If active facilities must be located in areas adjacent to residential <br /> communities , buy larger land area to develop buffers for shielding <br /> of light and noise . <br /> (THIS SECTION POSSIBLE CANDIDATE FOR SHORTENING ) <br /> Why are some park facilities now viewed as an impact than an improvement ? <br /> More analysis is needed to explore the change in attitude toward park <br /> impacts . However, the following suggestions are offered as ways to mitigate <br /> concerns about active recreation facilities while meeting the greater public <br /> need : - <br /> • The co - location of schools and parks can address this issue with <br /> appropriate design . <br /> • Co - locating schools with parks may have superseded the old <br /> concept of community ( mid - level ) parks . If this is the case , the <br /> focus for future parks and recreation development could be <br /> targeted to smaller , less - intensive neighborhood parks and larger <br /> district parks . <br /> • By combining active and low - impact recreation needs at the district <br /> park level ( 100 - plus acres ) , it may be possible to develop trails and <br /> retain natural areas on the perimeter of parks while dedicating a <br /> portion of the interior to active facilities and " hide " parking areas . <br /> Care must be exercised to ensure the integrity of significant natural <br /> areas , however . <br /> • Buffers should contain enough land and mature tree canopy to <br /> minimize sound and lighting to an acceptable . <br /> • Place all future active recreation facilities in larger district parks and <br /> make neighborhood parks low - impact . <br /> • Look countywide to define future - neighborhood and district parks - <br /> working with UNC , OWASA and other entities . <br /> • Related to the above , land banking is needed now to begin to <br /> identify and save priority parklands . Several local governments <br /> ( including some city/ county joint efforts ) are presently engaged in <br /> land banking . <br /> 0 <br /> 17 <br />