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Frisco planning commission recommends updated Parks & Recreation master plan to council, asks for clarifying language
Summary
After a year of public outreach, the Planning & Zoning Commission voted 6-0 to recommend Frisco's updated Parks & Recreation Master Plan ("Plan Your Play") to city council, asking staff to clarify the definition of build-out/vacant land and to distinguish city parks from HOA open space before council review.
The Frisco Planning & Zoning Commission on Tuesday recommended that city council adopt an updated Parks & Recreation Master Plan known as "Plan Your Play," after a presentation by Play Frisco staff and consultants and a 6-0 vote with two clarifying conditions.
The plan, presented by Claire Hempel of Design Workshop and introduced by Shannon Coates, director of Play Frisco, summarizes roughly a year of public engagement and analysis and outlines nearly 86 draft recommendations for capital projects, policy changes, staffing needs and partnerships. Hempel said the city currently meets national park-acre-per-resident standards today but that, "if we were to go by national standards," an additional 962 acres would be needed by 2031 at full build-out.
Why it matters: Frisco has experienced rapid growth, and staff and consultants said the updated plan is intended to guide priorities for the next decade to 15 years, identifying near-, mid- and long-term projects and aligning park investments with goals such as trail connectivity, shade, inclusivity and natural-area preservation.
Consultants said the plan focused on city-owned and city-managed assets and did not include HOA-owned open space in the park-acre calculations. Hempel told commissioners the analysis considered city GIS layers, demographics and access metrics and that some strategies aim to meet access goals by connecting residents to the park network via trails and linear parks rather than only by acquiring large parcels.
Commissioners asked for clearer language on a handful of technical points before the plan goes to council. Questions centered on what "build out" means in the plan, whether undeveloped city-owned parcels such as Grand Park are included in acreage totals, and how HOA open spaces are treated. Shannon Coates said specific capital project timing (for example, Collins Brook Farm Park) is included in the city's five-year capital improvement plan and that staff will share project dates and dashboard links with interested residents.
Motion and conditions: The commission approved a motion to recommend the plan to city council with two conditions directing staff to (1) refer back to the comprehensive plan to clarify the definition of "build out" and "vacant land" and (2) adjust the plan text to distinguish city parks from HOA open space. Commissioner Steve Cohn moved the motion; Commissioner Sean Merrill seconded it. The motion passed 6-0.
What's next: The Parks plan is scheduled to be forwarded to city council for review on April 1. Staff and consultants said the document includes an implementation roadmap and recommended phasing; Hempel emphasized that many recommendations would take 10 to 15 years to fully implement.
Representative quotes: "The following section will serve as a refresher to where we've been and where we are now," Claire Hempel said as she summarized outreach and recommendations. "If we were to go by national standards, an additional 962 acres will be needed by 2031," Hempel added, noting the metric is a national benchmark and not a tailored local target.
Ending: The commission's recommendation advances the plan to the next step: city council review in April. Staff will return to the commission or update the plan text as requested before council consideration.
