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<br />2040 Comprehensive Plan 2 <br />December 20, 2017 <br />• Parks Commission also discussed dog parks and the needs related to land and <br />development. Commissioners directed staff to research dog park facilities in other <br />communities. <br /> <br />On August 8, 2017, the City held a Public Open House specifically focused on park planning issues. <br />Attendees were asked to prioritize types of Hugo’s natural resources, types of trails and sidewalks, <br />street crossing designs, specific park amenities. Residents were also asked to help prioritize where <br />the City should focus development of the Parks & Trails System, identify the most urgent needs for <br />the parks and trails system, and provide feedback on parks amenities that should be constructed in <br />Irish Avenue Park. Due to low attendance (primarily by Council and Parks Commissioners) at the <br />Open House, a survey was sent to the City’s mailing list for the Comprehensive Plan. There were <br />101 responses to the survey. The following list summarizes feedback from the survey: <br />• Respondents identified development of a splash pad (63 votes) and all-access playgrounds <br />(37 votes) as the top two amenities that should be prioritized by parks commissioners. <br />Thirty-two respondents indicated that the City should prioritize dog parks. <br />• Respondents said that trails for recreation (54 votes) were the most important part of the <br />parks system, followed by a connected community (46 votes), and parks with active <br />recreation amenities (43 votes). <br />• The two top amenities that residents would like to see in Irish Avenue Park are a pool (42 <br />votes) and a playground (47 votes), followed by open space (27 votes) and sports fields (20 <br />votes) <br />• Respondents identified shared use trails (called Greenway trails in the 2040 update) as the <br />most important type of trail development (74 votes). <br />• Respondents identified maintenance of existing Parks, Trails, and Open space (47 votes) as <br />the most urgent need for the parks and trails system, followed by development of facilities in <br />Lions Park (40 votes), and acquisition of new land for new trails (27 votes). <br /> <br />On August 16, 2017 Parks Commission met to review the proposed updates to the Comprehensive <br />Plan. Staff highlighted key updates and asked for specific feedback related to Guiding Principles and <br />Objectives for the parks plan. Parks Commission confirmed the general direction of the Guiding <br />Principles and Objectives and asked staff to incorporate language that emphasized the need for <br />creative methods to develop parks, emphasize the City’s policy of park dedication, and clarify the <br />role of the greenway as a multi-functional corridor that incorporates trail and park development and <br />functions as a lineal park. <br /> <br />Key Updates <br /> <br />Based on feedback from the meetings and discussions with City staff, the Parks Chapter of the <br />Comprehensive Plan has been updated and includes the following key changes: <br />- Completed Active Living Assessment <br />- Updated Policy Documents and Guidelines that inform parks development <br />- Updated the Greenway Corridor Map to incorporate findings from the Eastern Hugo Natural <br />Resource Management Land Use Study <br />- Updated trail map to plan for needed trail connections in appropriate locations <br />- Updated maps to reflect newly constructed Parks and Trails. <br />- Updated Neighborhood Service Area Map that reduced the service area boundaries to be <br />consistent with projected Land Use growth.