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You will need Adobe Acrob Printed versions of the plan are available at the Parks and Recreation office, the Missoula Public Library, and the Office of Planning and Grants in City Hall. If you have trouble downloading or viewing the plan, e-mail Parks and Recreation to request an electronic version of the plan. Master Parks and Recreation Plan for the Greater Missoula AreaMissoula Urban Area Parks Use Survey
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Master Parks and Recreation Plan for the Greater Missoula Area The Comprehensive Master Park Plan establishes the goals and policies, actions and implementation tools to provide a sufficient and high-quality green infrastructure of parks, trails, conservation lands and recreational opportunities for all citizens in the greater Missoula area. This infrastructure acknowledges what Missoulians enjoy and desire in their community and leads to healthier individuals, a healthier community, and a healthier environment. Missoula City Parks and Recreation Board and Staff and Missoula County Park Board and Staff wish to thank the following citizens and elected and appointed officials for the numerous hours devoted to continuing Missoula’s legacy of excellence in Parks, Recreation, Trails, and Conservation Lands. It is through citizen efforts that our urban area remains a desirable place for us to live, work, and play and for our children to grow. Acknowledgements The Master Parks Plan Citizens Advisory Committee is broad spectrum of citizens representing the greater urban area, including business, neighborhoods, user groups, special interest and the community in general. These citizens volunteered well over 1000 hours to this plan…and to our future. CAC Members Dayna Swanson, Anne Jablonski, Andrea Holland, Perry Gliessman, Sarah McMillan, Jim Hausauer, Minie Smith, Jed Little, Bill Burnett, Anita Maxwell, Michael Sweet, Pat King, Wade Herbert, Charlie Brown, Mark Martin and Sue Brown. We would also like to thank these citizen advisory boards and elected and appointed officials: City Park Board County Park Board Consolidated Planning Board Missoula City Council and Mayor Missoula County Commissioners Synopsis of the Master Plan Why was the Plan developed? The Master Parks and Recreation Plan for the Greater Missoula Area will become the guide for land use as it relates to parks, trails, open spaces, conservation lands, the urban forest and recreation facilities and opportunities in the greater urban area. The Missoula area has and continues to grow approximately 3 percent per year, and existing parklands will not meet the expanding needs of our community. Easy and equitable access to parks and recreation facilities is an expected and an attractive element of any community. A public and green infrastructure enhances our community livability and desirability. Open spaces, parks, trails and the urban forest improve our environmental health by providing cleaner air and water and preservation of wildlife habitat. Quality parks, recreation and cultural opportunities improve our physical and mental health, create opportunities to develop and build community, add to community pride, and provide positive opportunities for use of leisure time. Parks serve all citizens, regardless of demographics or diversity. Parks also provide for business, tourism, art and cultural interests and needs. Parks reflect our local culture and values. An involved and public process The Comprehensive Master Park Planning Process, begun in May, 2003, included monthly work sessions of the Citizens Advisory Committee with Parks and Recreation staff and the plan consultants. In addition, the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research conducted an urban area survey for the plan. Staff and CAC members conducted multiple interviews with frequent park user-groups, and held a public open house and public workshop. The plan also includes comparison studies with peer cities, Montana cities, MT SCORP (Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan), the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain states, and national trends and statistics. In addition, prior and relevant plans dating back to the early 1990’s are incorporated into this plan. The 1995 Open Space Plan continues to be a valid and well-used plan for acquisition of cornerstone conservation parklands. Inventory of park lands, open spaces and trails An important component of this plan is to identify, label and map all parklands owned and managed by the City and County, in order to update and refine the previous City and County park inventories. The plan also identifies areas in need of additional parklands, open space, trails or trail connections, and recreation facilities, based on a standard level of service. Development of Methodology The plan defines Level of Service (LOS) based on population and geography. Each citizen should be within one-half mile of a neighborhood park and within 1.5 miles of a community park. Neighborhood parks are the backbone of our community. The plan further defines the need for access, sizes, and amenities important to achieving desirable results from parks. Community Needs A number of needs were determined through the process. Some of those needs include the continued acquisition of parkland to meet standard levels of service, the need for improved maintenance of some facilities, the need for indoor recreation and cultural facilities, and the need for new trails and trail connections to name a few. Development of critical goals and policies Overarching goals and associated polices were developed to guide future decisions related to development, access, and acquisition. Emphasis areas include:
Action and Implementation As with any plan, the effectiveness and success will be measured by the community’s ability and willingness to implement the plan. This Plan provides recommendations and directs actions, including priorities, for the near and more distant future. The Plan also recommends tools for funding and regulatory changes that could enhance the community’s ability to provide at least current levels of service.
Survey shows Missoulians want more swimming poolsAccording to UM’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research, Missoula residents’ overall level of satisfaction with Missoula area parks and conservation lands is high, but over one-half say there are not enough public swimming pools in Missoula. The telephone survey, commissioned by the City and County as part of the Comprehensive Master Park Plan process, was conducted by the Bureau in October, 2003. Researchers completed 434 interviews on a variety of topics, including overall satisfaction with the park system, reasons why residents use (or choose not to use) area parks, and facilities and features of the Missoula park system. Over half of those interviewed said there are not enough public indoor swimming pools or teen recreation centers in Missoula. “The survey re-affirms the work we have been doing for the past year,” says Parks and Recreation Director Donna Gaukler. “We have been listening to our constituents, and watching population trends and changing demographics. It’s no surprise that citizens of all ages are looking for low-cost, healthy recreation opportunities. Swimming is an activity that appeals to almost everyone.” Nearly half of the survey respondents would also like to see more outdoor and wading pools throughout the City. In conjunction with the survey, a Citizens Advisory Committee has been working with the planning and design consulting firm EDAW to develop a 15-year Comprehensive Master Park Plan for the City of Missoula and a 3-mile area surrounding the City. The project includes the evaluation of existing facilities and services, and a needs assessment for future park acquisitions, projects, and recreation services. The Plan will identify future park sites, establish local standards, prioritize capital improvements, identify levels of service, and recommend funding and acquisition strategies. Final survey results, along with more information about the Comprehensive Master Park Plan, will be available at a Public Open House on Wednesday, November 19, at 7pm in Council Chambers at City Hall. Survey Summary in Microsoft Word Survey Summary In Acrobat Portable Document Format (pdf) Full Survey with Appendices in Acrobat Portable Document Format (pdf) Highlights from Missoula Urban Area Parks Use SurveyConducted by Jim Sylvester, Bureau of Business and Economic Research The University of Montana-Missoula This report presents the results of a Missoula City/County Parks and Recreation Department commissioned telephone survey conducted by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at The University of Montana. The Bureau conducted the interviews during October 2003. The Missoula City/County Parks and Recreation Department commissioned this survey to learn the opinions of a true cross section of valley residents. Persons testifying at public meetings, writing letters to the op-ed pages of local newspapers, or calling the various “hotlines” may not be representative of the entire population. In addition, the Missoula City/County Parks and Recreation Department was interested in whether or not there were differences between residents of various regions of the valley. Satisfaction with Missoula Area ParksOverall level of satisfaction with Missoula area parks and conservation lands is extremely high. The average satisfaction level was four, on a scale from one to five where five is very satisfied, The detailed data are reported in Appendix 1. Respondents were asked if they had easy access to their neighborhood parks. Three out of four respondents agreed with the following statement : “I have easy access to my neighborhood park.” Respondents were then asked a list of park facilities and features. Figure 4 shows the percentage of respondents saying there were not enough of various features or facilities. Swimming pools both indoor and outdoor were mentioned as lacking by roughly half the respondents. Teen recreation centers were mentioned by a similar percentage. Figure 4: Not enough of these facilities and features in Missoula area parks
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