Commission reviews parks and open-space chapter; staff seeks integration with capital facilities and trails planning

Planning staff returned the parks and open-space chapter to the commission for workshop discussion, emphasizing its link to the capital facilities plan (CFP) and the need to integrate trails and active-transportation planning.

"The capital facilities chapter is what ties immediate action into the plans, goals and policies and parks is no exception to that," Scott Chesney said, noting the CFP addresses levels of service, 10-year demand and funding sources. He said some parks can serve multiple functions — for example, Olmsted Green Park in Kendall Yards is designed as both parkland and stormwater management infrastructure.

Commissioners asked about funding strategies and inventorying trails. Commissioner Pete Rayner recommended leveraging developer financing tools and reimbursements to pay for park infrastructure; Chesney said such tools and other financing options will be examined in the economic development chapter as implementation tools for policy goals.

Paul Cropp and other commenters asked whether an up-to-date countywide trails inventory and trail-plan integration are part of the periodic update; staff said the inventory is a required capital-facilities element and that the county is working to integrate active-transportation and parks planning across portfolios.

Next steps: staff will refine wording in the chapter, integrate the trails inventory in CFP work, coordinate active-transportation and parks planning and return revised language to the commission for further review.