Anna consultants present 2050 parks master-plan needs assessment; survey drew 814 responses

Consultants from Freese & Nichols presented the needs-assessment chapter of Anna’s 2050 parks, open space, trail and recreation master plan at the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting on Sept. 15, outlining community priorities, service gaps and preliminary recommendations.

The presentation, led by Freese & Nichols project manager Wilson Kerr, reported 814 survey responses and said the firm used demand-based feedback, standards benchmarking and a resource-based assessment to develop findings. "We had 814 survey responses," Kerr told the board, describing unusually strong public participation.

The assessment found trails and neighborhood park connectivity as recurring public priorities, along with requests for more shade, improved sports-field quality, additional trail mileage and interest in a public pool or indoor recreation center. The consultant team said the city’s rapid growth will change its parkland targets: under a most-likely…