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Council adopts updated Parks and Recreation System Plan after multi‑year public process
Summary
Council unanimously adopted a new parks and recreation system plan that ties equity‑focused outreach and a data‑driven project prioritization framework to a 10‑year project list.
The Hillsboro City Council adopted the Parks and Recreation System Plan by resolution on July 15 after staff presented a multi‑year planning effort that engaged more than 4,200 residents and produced a dynamic toolkit for future project prioritization.
Ryan, project manager for the Parks Department, summarized the plan’s approach: it treats parks and recreation as a set of services — maintenance, programming, land acquisition and facilities — and matches community input with geographic and demographic data to identify gaps and priorities. "We shut up and we listened," Ryan said, describing the outreach effort. He said the plan includes 18 layers of demographic analysis, multilingual outreach, 20 public events and a workbook that officials will use to score and prioritize projects.
Key priorities identified by the public and reflected in the final plan are equitable access to basic outdoor spaces, safe and welcoming facilities, more community engagement and expanded program access. The plan recommends near‑term studies and projects including an aquatics facility study, sports field and court studies, a community garden program, covered pavilions and a natural‑area project list. Staff described a prioritization framework that scores projects based on equity, community support, cost and readiness.
Councilors praised the depth of engagement and the plan’s emphasis on equity and measurable outcomes. The council adopted Resolution No. 2893 by roll call; all members voted in favor. Ryan said the plan will be used to update the parks section of the city’s comprehensive plan, to populate capital planning and to guide implementation. He noted the plan is designed as a living document with a dynamic project list and a clear method for adding or reprioritizing projects as new information becomes available.
Ending: Staff will begin implementing the plan’s first‑year projects, continue outreach and return to the council with project‑level proposals and budget requests as needed.
