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Brownsville hears draft Parks, Health and Recreation Master Plan; adoption targeted after December review
Summary
Consultant Stantec presented a draft parks, health and recreation master plan built from two rounds of public engagement and data analysis; staff expects a final draft to be reviewed in December and adoption in January, with an implementation emphasis.
Stantec consultants presented a draft Parks, Health and Recreation Master Plan to the Brownsville City Commission on Oct. 7, outlining recommendations grounded in more than 5,000 public engagement touchpoints and nearly 1,500 survey responses.
The plan, Stantec design director Brad Cowan said, is intended as “a clear roadmap on how Brownsville Parks recreation system can better serve the residents and improve health,” and it was developed using five assessment lenses — standards, demand, access, equity and resources — to identify gaps across roughly 46 city parks, 47 miles of trails and more than 50 programs.
City staff and the consultants told the commission the analysis projects needs through 2035 and recommends expanding parkland and trails, improving accessibility, adding staff and budget capacity, and leveraging underused local assets such as the resacas for recreation and stormwater benefits. Stantec said the plan emphasizes shade, resiliency, biodiversity and using parks as economic drivers, and includes an action-oriented implementation framework with priorities and suggested partnerships.
Stantec senior planner Haley Yell said the team used in-person pop-ups, district meetings, focus groups and stakeholder interviews to reach residents, and that the engagement informed recommendations such as more playgrounds, trails, pools and exercise stations. “We hosted pop up events where we were at the Farmers Market... and we got almost 1,500 survey responses,” Yell said.
Consultants noted maps in the draft showing areas of low park accessibility and areas of highest vulnerability that would benefit most from investment. The plan also proposes design identity and systems for data management, workforce development and policy updates so the plan does not “sit on the shelf.” Stantec said the draft will be refined from October through December and staff expects to present a final plan for adoption early next year.
Commissioners and members of the public praised the outreach and stressed practical priorities: one commissioner urged “shade, shade, shade” as a year-round need in Brownsville, and the commission’s representative noted the city was selected for a Harvard Bloomberg City Leadership cohort and plans to use that program to accelerate implementation. City staff said the plan will inform annual budget alignment and regular progress reviews.
The consultants and staff emphasized that adoption is the start of implementation: the draft is a 10‑year roadmap meant to be used in budgeting, partnership-building and regular updates to measure progress.
