EDA Packet 12.19.17 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Parks and Recreation Hugo has approximately 856 acres of city, state, and county owned parkland in the City's boundaries. Within these parks system provides many opportunities for a wide variety of recreation within the City. City Parks The park system plan proposes that the City develop a system of neighborhood and community parks that are integrated with existing park and recreation areas in Hugo. As noted previously, this plan classifies the City's future parks based on function, size, and types of recreational amenities. Parks managed by the City are defined as either a Neighborhood Parks that are smaller in size and serve neighborhoods within the MUSA or a Community Park, which are larger in size and serve the community and region. These classifications are offered to help policy makers understand the roles of parks in a community, and the services provided. If the park system functions to meet the needs of its residents, it is unimportant if the park meets typical acreage and service area standards for community and neighborhood parks. In short, neighborhood parks provide desired recreation facilities that are safely and conveniently accessed by the residents of a neighborhood, and community parks provide recreation facilities that are of interest to the community. 2040 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE Neighborhood Parks offer neighborhoods easy access to a variety of recreation facilities including play equipment, informal ballfields, athletic fields, court games, and picnic facilities. They typically service an area of roughly one-quarter to one-half mile radius and a population of up to 5,000 people. Physical features like major roads and rivers also define the service areas of neighborhood parks. In Hugo, for example, Highway 61 defines an edge between neighborhoods. Residents should not be expected to cross the highway to get to their neighborhood park. If neighborhood parks are to be used and enjoyed, they must be carefully located for safe and convenient access. Typically, neighborhood parks range in size from 5-20 acres. Community Parks service several neighborhoods or the community as a whole. As such, they provide facilities that will attract people throughout the community. They typically service an area that encompasses a one to two-mile radius and serve a population of 15,000 people or more. Some community parks focus on passive activities like hiking and picnicking. They are often found in areas that offer unique natural amenities such as lakes or woodlands. Other community parks focus on active forms of recreation. They often provide a series of athletic fields for organized sports and tournaments. Community parks attract more people than neighborhood parks so they are generally near arterial or collector roads. Ideally, residents should have the opportunity to access community parks via trails, but most people who use community parks live far enough away from these parks that they will likely drive to them. Thus, these parks need to provide adequate parking and restroom facilities. Typically, community parks range in size from 20 to 100 acres. PARKS, TRAILS AND OPEN SPACE 117