McHenry staff present five-year Parks and Recreation master plan; no formal action taken

Summary

Consultant Bill Hobson presented a Parks and Recreation Master Plan that inventories roughly 40 parks and recommends six concurrent goals — including indoor aquatics, improved connectivity and maintenance — based on community surveys. The committee heard the presentation but took no formal vote on the plan; the meeting was adjourned.

Bill Hobson presented the City of McHenry Parks and Recreation Master Plan to the Committee of the Whole, summarizing an inventory of about 40 parks and roughly 592 acres of parkland and recommending six concurrent goals for the next five years.

Hobson, the presentation’s lead presenter, said the plan was compiled with Hitchcock Design Group beginning in summer 2023 and that it “has 5 different parts” to assess existing facilities, gauge community sentiment, identify needs, define measurable goals and provide an action plan. He told the committee the city’s previous master plan dated to 2005 (adopted in 2007) and that the new plan is intended to guide investments and priorities for the next five years.

The report’s six goal areas are: complete indoor facility and outdoor-aquatic improvements; improve and maintain existing parks; evaluate and activate underutilized parks; provide amenities aligned with trends and demographics; address underserved areas and improve connectivity; and improve department operations and identify additional funding opportunities. Hobson said the plan is a “living document” and that many recommendations would…

McHenry staff present five-year Parks and Recreation master plan; no formal action taken

Summary

Subscribe to keep reading