The Harford County Parks and Recreation Department released an online survey Thursday to gather citizen input for its next land use plan. The survey also asks for suggestions on new facilities and programs.
In a press conference Thursday morning at the McFaul Activity Center in Bel Air, County Executive David Craig and Arden McClune, director of the Department Parks and Recreation, discussed the new plan and the online survey.
The last Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan was done in 2005, Craig said, and set forth two goals, to acquire more land and to use the land to develop community centers.
In the past six years, since the last plan, Craig did say they kept to those goals by purchasing nearly 400 acres and by building a new centers like the Veronica "Roni" Chenowith Activity Center in Fallston and the Havre de Grace Activity Center and improving the senior center in Edgewood.
"We've tried to spread those out over various areas of the county," he said.
Although in the past, people have "take[n] issue" with the county's desire to purchase more land and dismissed it, Craig said to look at the 70,000 children in the parks and recreation program.
"I think that those children would say 'No, that's important,'" he said, "and it is."
Along with the revision and updating of the overall county Master Plan, which is already under way, the county is required to update the Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan, in this case every six years. In a press release, McClune stated that the first step in the update process is to "hear from our citizens" about programs they like, want to expand or new ideas from the county.
As part of this, residents can go to http://www.harfordcountymd.gov/parks_rec and click on the LPPRP survey icon, which will allow them to give input on the upcoming plan, according to the release.
For those who would rather discuss ideas in person, Parks and Recreation is holding a public hearing Aug. 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the McFaul Activities Center at 525 W. MacPhail Road in Bel Air.
"We want to hear from our residents about what the priorities will be in the future," McClune said Thursday.
In the late fall, the Department of Parks and Recreation will compile the citizen input from the survey and meeting, as well as U.S. Census population data to start developing the new plan. With that information in mind, McClune said they would look at four general types of community centers.
These include "active sport programs and activities," for sports such as soccer, football and dance; "nature programming," with a partnership with Eden Mill Nature Center and the Anita C. Leight Estuary Center; "individual facilities," things such as trails or Annie's Playground that families and individuals can use by themselves; and finally, "programs for a special population," such as senior activity centers or programs for people with disabilities.
The department expects to have the plan update ready for public comment late in the winter, McClune said, and will submit it to the county council following the budget process.