Oak Harbor starts update to Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) master plan, seeks broad community input

At the May 12 Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission meeting, staff outlined a scope and procurement plan to update Oak Harbor's Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) master plan, last revised in 2019.

Brian, Parks staff, said the 2019 plan included a six‑year implementation schedule and a level‑of‑service analysis; staff now proposes starting the update largely from scratch while carrying forward relevant recommendations. He noted population growth since 2019 — the plan used a 2019 population of 22,700 and projected 25,912 by 2036; Oak Harbor's current population was cited at 24,622 — and said that makes a comprehensive update timely.

The proposed scope includes public engagement (surveys and meetings), demographic and facilities inventories, level‑of‑service mapping, prioritization of projects, program and fee analyses (including cost‑recovery models), an action plan, and a grounds maintenance management plan. Staff proposed coordinating the master plan work with ongoing studies, including an urban forestry plan, a recreation feasibility study and park‑specific projects such as pickleball design and Windjammer improvements.

Funding of $80,000 for the master plan was included in the RFP materials for procurement. Commissioners debated whether to do review work in a small subcommittee or to keep the work in full commission meetings. Several members favored keeping the project broadly visible and using commission meetings (with virtual access) to maximize public input and transparency; staff said proposals and selections would still use a smaller review panel when appropriate.

Staff plans to finalize the RFP, bring it back to the commission and run a transparent procurement and community engagement process. No formal vote was taken at the meeting; commissioners asked for continued updates and broad public outreach throughout the process.