Expansions could come to Madison’s parks after a city committee held its first forum in a series of meetings Tuesday to talk about improving and expanding parks through the 2011-2016 Park and Open Space Plan.
The city’s Parks Division reviews its comprehensive plan every five years to evaluate park policies, new land acquisition for parks and the financing of operations as required by the Department of Natural Resources.
The meeting focused on the purpose and vision of the Parks Department and reviewed the community profile that was updated following the 2010 Census.
Madison currently houses 260 parks in addition to 150 acres spanning across community dog parks, the Olbrich Botanical Garden and Arboretum, as well as various sports fields and lake access sites.
Parks Development Manager Kay Rutledge stressed the importance of community feedback in time for the finalization of the new plan.
“I want to provide parks to everyone,” Rutledge said. “The demographic is always changing, and the purpose of this and future meetings is for re-balancing.”
Rutledge said many parks in Madison are either cluttered or too spaced out for walking distance, a problem that she hopes these meetings will address and solve.
Rutledge gave a presentation on Madison areas that are being highlighted in the current plan and also touched on parkland inventory and analysis in relation to national park and recreation standards.
Park acreage is calculated to maintain a certain radius per every 1,000 residents – an issue Rutledge said is the most important now that the results of the 2010 Census have been released.
Community Services Manager Steve Doniger said one of the department’s prominent visions in the 2011-2016 plan is to keep and maintain the parks and services that already exist, such as Ride the Drive, hayrides and children’s garage sales.
“We are not a summer-time only service in Madison as many people already know,” Doniger said. “We have ice skating, sledding and cross-country skiing when the weather is maybe not so nice for some people.”
The plan also integrates current and future hopes for volunteer services.
“There [are] quite a few volunteering [efforts] coming from [University of Wisconsin] students,” Doniger said. “Fraternities and sororities help out in the parks with trail cleanup, and we’d like to see more.”
Madison Parks Division hosts more than 250 special events every year, and the new plan will shape how the city can expand the uses of its facilities to meet the public’s demand.
Parks Superintendent Kevin Briski addressed correcting the public drinking issue in the parks to better sustain a family-friendly atmosphere.
“A spring plan is underway and we are in tune with and working directly with the Madison Police Department on the issue of public drinking in our parks,” Briski said.
Rutledge said the department is also focused on continuing to work on wildlife preservation and conservation of existing habitats.
The next meeting in the series will be held Feb. 2 to work out official changes to the master plan.
