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development costs would demand an unreasonable share of this funding without any immediate <br />benefit to the community. <br />3. Guiding Principles <br />Trails: It is very clear that our trail system is highly desired in this community for both summer and <br />winter use. But they aren’t just for exercise or walking the dog. They should facilitate easy and safe <br />movement to other park, community, or business assets. And they should be designed to provide other <br />benefits along the way, such as a table for a conversation, a scenic overlook, butterfly gardens, workout <br />stations, etc. <br /> <br />Neighborhood Parks: Historically, this Board has held the belief that neighborhood parks, especially <br />those without safe parking, were developed to primarily serve those in the immediate surrounding area (¼ <br />to ½ mile uninterrupted by major roads and other physical barriers.). These parks were not designed for <br />or intended as an automobile destination, except for parents with very small children or limited mobility <br />users. Therefore, part features and amenities should focus on the specific needs and desires of the <br />neighborhood being served. <br /> <br />Large Community Park(s): We have long believed there is a need for a larger and more developed park <br />that can safely and equitably serve the broader community without disruption of the “neighborhood <br />parks”. Since the Athletic Complex and redevelopment of a park such as Country Lakes Park into a <br />community-wide destination is not realistic at this time, we must find other more modest-scaled parks that <br />have sufficient space, facilities, access, and parking that can currently or could be easily upgraded to <br />serve the broader community without significant adverse neighborhood impacts. This Board believes that <br />as an interim measure we could do this on a geographical basis: Sunrise Park could serve the west side, <br />Birch Park the south side, Lino Park the north side and Clearwater Park the east side. City Hall Park <br />could fit this profile for the Northeast, but the current infrastructure would require a significant upgrade to <br />meet this broader need. <br /> <br />4. Setting Priorities & Guiding Principles <br />The Advisory Board has spent considerable time and discussion to identify key criteria that would be used <br />in setting priorities for this one-time dedicated funding. We continue to rally around two separate and <br />independent themes. But ultimately, this opportunity demands a focus on things that will have a high <br />“wow” factor – high visibility, solid community impact, and expanded citizen usage or participation. <br /> <br />Need and Demand: While we have not exhausted all the criteria within this category, our investments <br />will respond to the following community needs and highest demands. <br /> - Safety of users of all ages and abilities, <br /> - Replacement or enhancement of the most highly utilized assets, <br /> - Adding new equipment that will address new and growing demands or user groups, <br /> - Upgrades that will focus on term short-term needs, and <br /> - Consideration of items that might provide a critical foundation or first step for a key future need(s). <br /> <br />Balance and Distribution: We also desire to makes sure our selections will be distributed across the <br />community and provide a balance by geographical area, recreational need, and user type. <br /> - Facilities that individually or collectively can meet the needs of a variety of age groups, <br /> - Provide facilities that serve both active passive and active user experiences and activities, <br /> - Make sure facilities are geographically balanced and distributed based on user demand, and <br /> - Consider upgrades that can meet short, medium, and long-term needs <br />