Residents tapped to guide Parks Master Plan

To collect meaningful community input needed to drive the development of a Parks, Beaches and Trails Master Plan, the City of Encinitas is employing community surveys to further plan for and prioritize future parks, beaches and trail projects over the next 10 years. The two-prong community survey strategy includes a focused scientific resident survey complemented by a survey of the broader community. The City of Encinitas asks that residents participate in one of the surveys.

Recently a 25-question survey was mailed out to the physical addresses of 3,500 residents who were randomly selected to create a sample population that is representative of Encinitas’ overall population. Through this approach survey data will be statistically valid as the 3,500 randomly selected survey pool is representative of the larger Encinitas community. Residents selected for this survey can submit their responses by mailing in a completed survey or by using a unique password provided in their survey letter to complete the survey online.

In the coming weeks, the survey will be opened up to the broader community so that any interested residents or business owners will be able to provide their input through an identical 25-question online survey. Full details on how to participate in the open survey will be released soon.

Results for the surveys will be tabulated and analyzed separately, but both will be used in the master planning process. Raw data from the surveys will first be made available to the public during a community meeting to be scheduled this summer. This raw data combined with input gathered at those community meetings will be used to create a draft Parks, Beaches and Trails Master Plan. The draft plan is expected to be presented to the City Council, as well as some of its advisory boards such as the Parks and Recreation Commission, this fall. These meetings are open to the public and the public’s participation in these meetings and throughout the planning process is invited and encouraged.

“Encinitas is a community that greatly values its parks, beaches, trails, and open space, “ said Jim O’Grady, director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Encinitas. “The surveys are an important part of the master planning process and are one of many inputs to be accounted for. Our goal is to develop a master plan for our parks, beaches, trails and open spaces that aligns with the preferences and desires of Encinitas’ residents.”

To ensure that the process of developing a parks master plan is as comprehensive and inclusive as possible, the City has engaged the Services of GreenPlay, LLC. GreenPlay is a nationally recognized firm that has assisted more than 300 cities and counties throughout the country in the development of such plans.

Thus far, GreenPlay has worked with City staff to update its inventory of beaches, parks, trails, open space and facilities, met with numerous community groups and leaders, and has hosted an initial community workshop to obtain community perspective on how this plan should be developed.

For more information on the Parks and Recreation Department and the master plan development process, visit www.EncinitasParksandRec.com/MasterPlan. To learn more about GreenPlay, visit www.greenplayllc.com. — Submitted press release