Recreation Advisory Commission

Recreation Advisory Commission December 13, 2023 Call To Order: A meeting of the Durham Recreation Advisory Commission was held on this day in person, December 13, 2023. In attendance Lesley Stracks-Mullem, Cedric Burke, Karthik Sundaramoorthy, Girija Mahajan, Jill Thomas, excused absences for Mike Johnston and Teah Rawlings. I. Adjustments to the Agenda/Special Announcements 1. Move the Comprehensive Parks, Recreation and Open Space Presentation to follow the Director’s Report. 2. Durham Parks and Recreation wants to thank the Commissioners for their dedication to improving parks and recreation in our community. 3. Don’t forget to attend the City of Durham Volunteer Appreciation Reception on December 18, 2023. The RAC photo will be taken at 6:01pm. II. Public Comment 1. No public comment III. RAC Community Engagement Events & Committee Reports 1. Community Engagement ▪ Jill attended the holiday parade, noted that it was significantly larger than the last time she attended. ▪ The youth basketball league has begun. It has gone really well, shout out to the Duke student coaches who are leading the teams. • Lesley’s son will be volunteering for the league in January. ▪ Karthik spoke with the Swim for Charlie program; the program is a really great opportunity. ▪ Karthik attended the Christmas Parade after his Edison Johnson morning squash game. 2. Durham Parks Foundation ▪ DPF will host a Fundraising event, the DPR Centennial Kick-Off on February 7, 2024, at The Rickhouse. ▪ DPF is hosting the Inaugural Piney Wood Pickleball Tournament in partnership with Durham Area Pickleball Players March 1-3, 2023. ▪ Piney Wood Pickleball Courts will be open on December 18th. 3. DOST ▪ Santee Rd County Park IV. Approval of Minutes 1. Cedric Burke motioned to approve the minutes as submitted, Girija Mahajan seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously. V. Fee Waivers (December) 1. Jill Thomas motioned to approve all waivers as recommended by staff; Cedric Burke seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously. Recreation Advisory Commission December 2023 Meeting Minutes Page 1  VI. Old Business/New Business 1. Comprehensive Parks, Recreation and Open Space Presentation – Presentation Attached ▪ Austin Bowman – Project Manager, McAdams ▪ Shweta Nanekar – Principal in Charge, McAdams • Questions a. Girija Mahajan - Are the statistics based on Durham County or City of Durham? i. The statistics are city of Durham specific. b. Wade Walcutt - What does level of service mean? i. It means what are the amenities that we are offering the community. c. Karthic Sundaramoorthy – Did Skateboarding make the list? i. Skateboarding was not in the top 10. d. Girija Mahajan – What are the recreation trends for youth as the list looks like it is focused on adults. i. Both of the instruments that were used and market analysis of recreation spending are focused more on adults. There is an opportunity to carve out a segment of engagement that would focus on kids’ activities. e. Lesley Stracks-Mullem - Did any of the trends that felt like a surprise to DPR staff? i. None of the results were a surprise. The community interest results focused less on pre-registered programs and more community building events. ii. Both national trends and local trends focus on health and wellness. iii. National trends in 2020 were geared towards outdoor individual activities, this year’s trends are focused on indoor wellness classes. iv. Programing will lean towards what is requested locally but knowing the national trends can help know what may be coming. f. Wade Walcutt - Staff will need the Commission’s support on promoting the engagement that has occurred to receive the community’s feedback when the plan is presented to Council. g. Karthik Sundaramoorthy – Were barriers different for different age or gender groups? i. We did not see that as much in the open house, but it was shown in the scientific survey. Older groups were more likely to have accessibility barriers and younger groups found a lack of park offerings to be the barrier. 1. The scientific survey was replicated and sent out citywide with the results analyzed separately. This ensured that community members who wanted to provide their opinion but did not receive the statistically valid survey could do so. h. Lesley Stracks-Mullem – A top priority is green space, is that part of Recreation Advisory Commission December 2023 Meeting Minutes Page 2  environment and nature? i. Yes, access to green space would fall under environment and nature. i. Karthik Sundaramoorthy – Are you comparing Durham with other areas? i. These comparisons are looking at NRPA statistics for areas with 250,000 population or larger. Additional data was measured against benchmark cities. j. Karthik Sundaramoorthy – What are the implications of the annexation maps? i. This will give you an indication of where future growth is happening and where future parks may be needed. k. Karthik Sundaramoorthy – how many parks were visited? i. The group visited 23 parks that were representative of types of parks across the system. l. Cedric Burke - How many Cities were in the peer group for the Trust for Public Land map? i. That data will be provided. m. Wade Walcutt - Can this information be shown visually on a map? i. Next slide is a map from the Trust for Public Land which shows were there are gaps in access to parks. ii. Because of satellite annexation you see areas of greater need on the borders of the city. n. Lesley Stracks-Mullem – When presenting this to City Council, how do you square that the needs of the resident are maintenance of facilities, but we have areas that need new parks due to growth? i. Both maintenance and improvements to current parks and expansion of the park system will need to happen at the same time. The role of the Open Space Planner will be examining these areas and providing feedback to developers and the City regarding new park opportunities. ii. This map data is for a 10-minute walk which might not be realistic in more suburban area, and it might be more of a 5 minute drive. iii. This map connects with the need for trails and sidewalks that connect these new parks with neighborhoods. iv. The eastern area where growth is occurring will max out as the boundaries run into the edges of the county. o. Wade will provide some suggested homework to the commissioners based on the presentation on what they view a goal for the next ten years should be. p. Karthik Sundaramoorthy – Transportation is looking at a bus transit center in the Village Shopping Center in East Durham. It would be good to connect a park amenity with the transit center. q. Where is McAdams located? i. There is an office in South Durham and in Downtown Raleigh. r. Karthik Sundaramoorthy - Was data collected for Raleigh and Cary Recreation Advisory Commission December 2023 Meeting Minutes Page 3  on park spending? i. Some data was collected. Raleigh often has park bonds on the ballot. s. Wade Walcutt - One of the reasons to go through this process to provide City Council and policy makers with the information of what is needed on to explore funding options. ▪ VII. Directors Report 1. Shout out for the Holiday Parade and all of the departments and staff who worked together to make the event happen. ▪ The police inspected all vehicles prior to their entry in the parade. ▪ Floats were not provided by the Department, but Floats were entered by some groups. ▪ Mayor Williams reached out to Wade on Sunday morning congratulating him on the success of the event. 2. The Carolinas Recreation and Park Conference is occurring in Wilmington this week. Staff are attending along with Teah Rawlings from the commission. 3. In November we had 2 staff attend the Supervisors Management School presented by North Carolina State University in cooperation with the National Recreation & Park Association at Oglebay Training Center in West Virginia. It is a two-year program. We have had two staff complete the program this year. 4. Piney Wood Pickleball Courts will open for play December 18. A celebration of the opening will be held in January. ▪ The pickleball community is very excited about the opening. There will be a combination of open play and reservations. Courts 1-8 are reserved for open play and 9-12 will be available for reservations. Tournaments will be allowed every other month from Friday – Sunday. ▪ The Department is looking at improvements at Piney Wood Park holistically to ensure that when improvements are made to the courts, improvements will be made to ensure that other items are addressed to look at items that complement the main project. 5. We have a new Mayor and new council members. They have a schedule to fill the vacant Ward 3 council member. They will also look at appointing the Mayor’s appointee vacancy to the Commission and the Council Liaison from City Council. 6. The Wheel’s upfit contract was signed and work will begin in the new year. 7. The number of Special Event Permits has highlighted the importance of the dedicated unit to ensure excellent customer service to all of the organizations holding events in Durham. 8. In one weekend we had 3 large events hosted by DPR, the Senior Holiday Party, Santa Paws, and the Nutcracker Pickleball Tournament. 9. The Spring Play More guide is out, the cover design was created by a local 9-year-old. Meeting Adjourned at 9:32 a.m. Next RAC Meeting – Wednesday, January 10, 2023. Minutes respectfully submitted by Emilie McIntosh Recreation Advisory Commission December 2023 Meeting Minutes Page 4 Project Team Process Benefits of Comp Plan A Systemwide Parks and Recreation Master Plan will: Demographics and Trends Purpose › The demographics analysis is critical, especially for growing communities like Durham › Gives the project team + department an understanding of: § Population growth § Current and future demographic composition § The population of “tomorrow” Demographic Projections Demographic Trends › Population will grow considerably within the next 10 years › Age distribution is extremely stable + will remain so through 2033 › Population identifying as “White Alone” + “African American/Black” is 74.7% of the population + will decrease slightly during 10- year plan › Significant wealth gap apparent in Durham, large difference between average income + median income Demographic Projections Demographic Projections Demographic Projections Key Implications › Escalating need to examine level of service standards › Continued demand for amenities + programs across all age groups › Equity + inclusion focus areas for future park development › Appears some residents may have expendable income that could be directed to program fees or park development while others will continue to rely on the Department for free or affordable programming Recreation Trends Recreation Trends Key Implications › Activities showing large growth nationwide › Most activities of interest from community o Pilates feedback are already being provided o Yoga o Potential to increase frequency/volume o Kettlebells of offerings o Dance exercise o Need to make sure marketing is o Barre happening + connecting community to › Activities of interest from the community activities they want to participate in survey › Department is doing well at providing high o Outdoor movies + concerts quality programs o Swimming o 91% of community feels diversity of o Fitness + wellness programs programming + events is “Good” or o Outdoor adventure programs “Excellent” o Small watercraft/boating o 90% of community rates quality of o Pickleball programming + events as “Good” or “Excellent” Community Engagement Community Engagement Scientific Survey › 75% ranked the overall quality as good or excellent › 31% indicated it would take 20+ minutes to walk to the nearest park, facility or greenway › 38% indicated the top barrier to use is not knowing what is offered › 63% are either somewhat satisfied or very satisfied with overall satisfaction of the department › 81% say the existence of parks + recreation is very important to quality of life in Durham › Top two areas parks + recreation should focus on improving: o updating existing parks + facilities (66%), o maintaining parks + facilities (64%) › 48% are very supportive of paying additional taxes to improve existing parks › 39% are very supportive to paying additional taxes to construct new parks Community Engagement › 90% believe the existence of public parks + recreation is very important to the quality of life in Durham › 98% have visited a park or facility in the last year › 60% rated the overall quality as good › 40% would take 20+ minutes to walk to the nearest park, facility or greenway › Most willing to support with tax dollars- investing in the look + quality of existing parks + facilities › 49% are very supportive of paying additional taxes to improve existing parks › 44% are very supportive to paying additional taxes to construct new parks Intercept Events Community Engagement Future Engagement › Public Meeting No. 2 › Additional Intercepts › Focus Groups › Commission + Council Meetings Level of Service Level of Service Key Findings: Based on Population Size › Durham is behind the national median of overall park acreage and residents served per park › Durham is ahead of the national median in expenditures per capita › Durham is ahead of national median in staffing per capita Facility Assessments Approach › DPR selected a representative sample of parks, recreational amenities + facilities for the planning team to assess. › The assessment is centered around insights regarding perceived strengths + weakness encountered across the park system. Primarily our team is focused on park visitor EXPERIENCE. › Through repeated physical observations, we can identify recurring patterns in visitor behavior, activities + interactions with the park environment. These patterns can help to develop themes that describe different aspects of the visitor experience. › From those observations a set of themes were identified + are intended to be a summary of the realities, opportunities and challenges observed throughout the park system. These themes can be used to describe visitor preferences, behaviors, social interactions, environmental interactions + the overall impact of the park environment on visitor satisfaction + enjoyment. Facility Assessments Facility Assessments Signage + Wayfinding Park System Character 1. The opportunity exists for DPR to 1. City of Durham Parks from Lake Michie to integrate engaging and educational Forest Hills Park to the Grant Street signage to enhance the community’s neighborhood park, are characterized by understanding and appreciation for their natural features – a strong unifying historical and cultural value of the parks. thread across the park system. 2. The absence of signage and wayfinding 2. The City’s parks balance the need for can be challenging for visitors trying to programmed and undeveloped open navigate and fully appreciate available space, frequently providing a combination recreational amenities in the parks. of both in each park. 3. There is opportunity to enhance individual park identity, creating distinct and vibrant recreational spaces that resonate with the local communities/ neighborhoods, and attract visitors. Facility Assessments Diversity of Amenities Consistency + Modernity 1. Opportunity to strengthen Durham’s park 1. The City makes efforts to ensure all parks, system by providing an expanded variety not just the high-performing ones, are of amenities clean, free of debris, and well-manicured. 2. The City’s nature-based parks’ scenic 2. Although they are well-maintained and vistas, fishing opportunities, boating landscaped, many recreational amenities options, hiking trails, picnic areas, and (playgrounds, shelters, etc.) encountered by educational aspects make them distinct the project team were observed to be and valued assets for the community. beyond their useful life. However, there are some limitations in 3. Some playground and splashpad surfacing terms of the user experience due to a was worn or had holes, presenting a safety shortage of recreational amenities such as hazard. dedicated gathering spaces 3. Some parks, such as Orchard Park, Leigh Farm Park, River Forest Park (Mountains- to-Sea and other trail connections) provide unique features but are underutilized. Benchmarking: Peer Cities Benchmark Cities Why › Richmond, VA* › Similar population size › Lawrence, KS › Similar parks + recreation › Madison, WI department + similar amenities › Greensboro, NC* › In-house maintenance › Arlington, TX › Equity focus › *Cities that are included in Durham's adopted benchmark cities Benchmarking: Peer Cities Benchmarking: National Key Findings › Durham's population growth is significantly higher than all but two other similarly sized cities. › Durham is on the lower end of: o Total park acres, o Designed + natural parks, o Number of parks, acres per 1,000 people; o Parks as a % of city area. › In looking at walkable access to a park, Durham’s percentage of population with easy access is among the lowest of all the cities. Also, the level of access to a park by race + income is consistent, with: o Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native + residents with a higher median income having the lowest % of access. Benchmarking: National Key Findings › Significant variances in distribution of park spaces by race + income. o High income residents have lower access to parks than low-income residents. o Residents of multiple races + Hispanic residents have less park space per person relative to the City Median. o White residents have an overwhelmingly higher % of park space per person relative to the city median. o Neighborhoods of color in general have greater park space per person relative to the city median, yet they considerably less park space per person than white residents.  ParkServe Map Export C r e d i t s : Wo r l d H i l l s h a d e : E s r i , N A S A , N G A , U S G S 0 1 2 Miles ± ParkServe Place High priority Park with public access Moderate priority 10-minute walk service area World Hillshade Priority areas for new parks (place) Very high priority December 12, 2023. Copyright © Trust for Public Land. Trust for Public Land and Trust for Public Land logo are federally registered marks of Trust for Public Land. Information on this map is provided for purposes of discussion and visualization only. www.tpl.org Program Assessment Key Findings › Well established + defined Program Categories › Program descriptions/goals effectively communicate key public benefits + desired outcomes › Age segment distribution of programs IS aligned with Durham’s current population › 78% of programs are in the early programming stages, while only 22% fall into mature programming stages › Financial performance measures are not currently being utilized + 96% of programs are free. Opportunities exist to balance improving cost recovery + making sure the community has access to programs regardless of their financial situation. Program Assessment Program Lifecycyle › This analysis provides important data to DPR for strategic decision making about the overall mix of programs they manage to › Ensure an appropriate number of programs are “fresh” › Ensure relatively few programs, if any, need to be discontinued. Program Assessment Cost Recovery › Establish cost recovery goals that follow a hierarchy of community benefits + individual benefits › Goal is to recover some costs where realistic while maintaining the community’s ability to access programming no matter their financial status Operational Assessment Maintenance Challenges › Big challenge is driving time throughout › Maintenance staff indicated they feel 13 the day, staff could benefit from an parks are “lost” due to safety issues additional shop to serve northern parts of › They indicated fear or discomfort in the city more quickly these parks to the point that they feel › Challenges in part-time + seasonal staff like they are unable to achieve their › Limited volunteer staff to help with tasks goals in these places such as clean up › Homeless population + encampment in parks is a major challenge with both maintenance + user access › No encampment policy or tracking of costs to manage Operational Assessment Technology Equity › Two major identified challenges: › City + Department have been actively › Lack of WiFi at DPR Centers working to embed diversity, equity + › Need an additional staff person who inclusion into the DNA of the organization can be devoted to technology testing, › Identified need for a data driven equitable research + development, + staff + transparent park system funding training. strategy › Identified need to develop a long-term plan to increase the City’s park acreage + number of park sites throughout the city + to ensure equity is the foundation of the plan Financial Assessment Benchmarking > Durham is lowest among similar cities in terms > Looking at per capita spending + of use of volunteers factoring in regional pricing parity, > Durham’s programming spending is comparable Durham’s per capita spending is still on to both selected peer cities + other cities with the low end with regards to operations, similar population size maintenance, administration and total > Spending significantly less on operations spending + maintenance + administration > For capital spending + land acquisition, Durham is spending less than ½ of what similar jurisdictions are > Private spending on parks is also quite low comparatively Looking Forward With today’s material in mind, what’s one thing you would like to see the Department + City have achieved in 10 years?