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Council hears parks and recreation visioning plan and equity‑tool demo; consultants outline targeted outreach
Summary
Consultants presented a parks and recreation visioning process that includes an interactive equity tool, targeted Hispanic/Latino outreach and an open community survey; consultants said the equity dashboard will be available for staff testing in June.
Consultants and city staff presented the Parks, Recreation and Community Programs Visioning Plan, describing a multistage planning process, community outreach and a new interactive “equity tool” designed to help prioritize park investments.
Jeff Loesergan of HR Green described the project’s three phases and five task buckets — process design, data collection, public involvement, alternative concepts and a written plan — and said the team will produce a 20‑year vision and a two‑to‑five year capital improvement strategy. "We want to establish a comprehensive vision for the plan," he told council members.
Bryn Hilder Hulson of HR Green said the equity tool will be an online, GIS‑based dashboard that pulls quantitative and qualitative data into a single interface to help staff and the public identify parks with the greatest need for investment. "It is an online EIS‑based interactive and accessible platform using a diverse set of data to help in measuring which of the city parks and recreation centers have the greatest need for investment and improvement," Hulson said. She cited examples in Atlanta and Tacoma and said Thornton staff will be able to test the tool in June before a broader public launch.
Consultants and city staff emphasized targeted outreach to Hispanic and Latino residents after community interviews indicated traditional public‑meeting formats were less effective. The team described plans to partner with the Thornton Police Department and community connectors and to host engagement at local soccer events at Sky Park, where organizers plan bilingual staff and interactive attractions to draw participants.
Project staff reported the public survey has been active for several weeks and described early results: "When we developed these slides, we had 60 responses. We're up to 185 now," Daniel Estes of CDR said. Estes summarized emerging themes: respondents generally rated current parks and programming about 3.5 out of 5 for both quality and accessibility and identified shade, restroom facilities and improved trail connections as common needs.
Council members asked about equity scoring, data sources and how the equity tool will inform funding decisions. Staff said the tool will link to the city’s capital planning and strategic priorities, and that a technical advisory group of roughly 42 members helped refine the indicators.
Next steps: staff said they will continue public engagement through June, including ThorntonFest and targeted events, and will bring an interactive budgeting exercise to council or provide it offline if the meeting runs long. The consultants said they will continue refining the equity tool and present additional public‑touch points to show how community input shaped the plan.
Speakers in this story include Jeff Loesergan and Bryn Hilder Hulson (HR Green), Daniel Estes (CDR), Mayor Jan Coleman and Councilmember Justin Martinez.
