DURHAM, NC – With an increasing population, additional areas annexed, and changing trends in recreation, Durham Parks and Recreation (DPR) will revise its master plan to reflect the pulse of residents’ desires for new facilities and programming over the next decade.
A draft of the plan will be presented to City Manager Thomas J. Bonfield and Durham City Council for review in the spring 2013.
According to DPR Director Rhonda B. Parker, the current master plan was adopted by the City Council on November 17, 2003 and has served as a guide for DPR for some years. “Some of its data, including surveys and community meetings actually dates back to 2001-02 and we need current data to accurately reflect the public’s vision and desires,” said Parker.
In the coming months, DPR will use several strategies to solicit feedback from residents to help create a plan that embodies the unique character of the Durham community.
One of the ways residents can participate is to visit Durham’s new MindMixer website, a virtual community meeting where residents communicate with key city leaders and staff from their home, job, or wherever they access the internet.
The new site, www.PlanToPlayMoreDurham.com, is a forum where residents can share ideas, second others’ ideas, expand upon existing ideas, give feedback on initiatives and collaborate with their neighbors on a variety of park and recreation topics.
The second way data will be collected is through a written survey that will be facilitated by the National Research Center, Inc. of Boulder, CO. In early September, 4000 surveys will be mailed to Durham households scientifically selected to represent the full population of Durham. The various open-ended questions are designed to gauge community attitudes on various topics.
The third way residents can give input is attending one or more of the eight community meetings being held in October and November by the Master Plan Steering Committee. The eighteen member team is made up of a mix of long-time Durham residents and relative newcomers who were selected based on their knowledge of parks and recreation, their willingness to commit to ten months of work on the committee, and their local connections with community and recreation groups.
At the conclusion of the meeting series, the team will meet to assess the community’s priorities and the information will be used to help draft the new master plan.
For more information call (919) 560-4355 or visit www.DPRPlayMore.org.
About Durham Parks and Recreation
Durham Parks and Recreation provides opportunities for the Durham community to “Play More.” The department strives to help citizens discover, explore and enjoy life through creative and challenging recreational choices that contribute to their physical, emotional and social health. For information, visit www.DPRPlayMore.org or call (919) 560-4355.