Master Parks Plan
About
In the Fall of 2021, the Town sent out a bid for a firm to facilitate a Master Parks Plan (MPP) for our parks, recreational areas, and open spaces. The winning firm ended up being Lardner-Klein Landscape Architects (LKLA), based out of Alexandria Virginia.
With over 40 years of experience in park planning, LKLA will work closely with town staff, and with community input, to identify long term goals for the development of new and existing parks and recreational areas, as well as possible land acquisitions for potential development.
The following key elements will be included:
- a questionnaire of town residents to solicit input gauging the need and demand for various types of open spaces and recreational amenities, (completed in March/April)
- public visioning and design workshops to develop ideas for passive and active recreational amenities on existing vacant or underutilized public parks and properties
- the first public workshop was in March
- several workshops occurred in April with the school district
- strategies and design alternatives to redevelop and add amenities where appropriate and practical to existing publicly-owned open spaces in Smyrna
- cost estimates for development of recreational amenities and improvements within town-owned parks and open spaces
- strategies and potential design alternatives to broaden and increase public access both within and to various public open spaces
Anticipated Schedule (subject to change)
January-February
- data gathering and community questionnaire
- inventory of existing parks
- conduct a community questionnaire (completed in March)
March 12
- vision and goals
- public meeting #1
- build on the preliminary results of the questionnaire to identify issues/challenges, needs, and opportunities and facilitate brainstorming on how to address them
April/May
- needs assessments
- preliminary vision, goals, and strategies
- based upon results of the public workshop, develop conceptual level diagrams illustrating program and discuss needs and opportunities for each park or group of parks
June
- preliminary findings
- click here to view the pdf
- public meeting #2 (moved to Monday 8/22/22)
- review needs and concepts for each park or park group
July
- safe routes to parks
- review pedestrian and bicycle access and connectivity to parks from neighborhoods and other trip generators such a sschools, churches and commercial areas
- August
Fall/Winter
- draft and final plan
- work with the steering committee/parks and recreation committee to review and revise drafts and final plans before submitting to town staff for Council action