Public input sought on Geneva Parks Master Plan

The Geneva Recreation Department, Department of Public Works and the Geneva Neighborhood Resource Center are seeking input from residents for the new Parks Master Plan. Whether you are a frequent visitor to Geneva or you live in the Town or City, all three departments are encouraging individuals to complete a five minute “sit and click” survey located at www.genevarec.com. The last Parks Master Plan was published in 1988 and spanned over six years. The new plan has been selected to be done this year based on multiple suggestions for specific park upgrades through the City’s Innovation Hub (www.ideasgeneva.com), neighborhood associations’ attention on the parks, and increased recreational programming interest. The Master Plan will include significant parks programming and physical design components. The process will include:· City staff technical team doing majority of research (including inventory of maintenance, existing park amenities, rec programming, needs assessments, best practice research, community partnership, and more).· Public input, an important component including the current Recreation Advisory committee, multiple surveys, focus groups, neighborhood association input, and public input sessions.· Research and design assistance from Hobart and William Smith Colleges’ Finger Lakes Institute – Community Design Center’s student interns.· An RFP for consultant services will be developed in the spring to work with the City staff technical team for recommendations.· In addition to facility and recreation programming recommendations, we will be looking at marketing, educational elements, community partnerships, environmental conservation and sustainability components as well.The timeline for the Parks Master Plan is projected to be:· Research phase: February to July· Public Participation throughout process· Plan Development: March to September· Plan Draft: September· Final Adoption: December Print copies of the survey will also be available at City Hall, the Geneva Recreation Complex, and the Geneva Neighborhood Resource Center. Input from residents is very important, and knowing what you currently use your parks for and what you would like to see will help formulate a plan that is most suitable for the public.