Brownsburg unveils five-year parks master plan; public hearing set for Jan. 22

Amber Lane, director of parks and recreation, presented the Town of Brownsburg’s draft five-year parks master plan to the town council at the Jan. 8 meeting, saying the document will be available online beginning the next day and a public hearing is set for 6–7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, at Eaton Hall.

Lane described the plan as a strategic roadmap that establishes priorities, inventories parks and trails, and outlines capital improvement and implementation strategies. “A master plan is a strategic planning document and provides long term direction and establishes priorities,” Lane said, explaining the document’s chapters on site analysis, community engagement and an appendix of supporting data.

The needs assessment and resident survey informed several findings Lane highlighted: Arbuckle Acres was identified as the system’s most-used park; more than 80% of survey respondents rated park conditions as good or excellent; 93% rated program quality good to excellent and 83% rated program value similarly; and over half of program attendees reported returning for multiple events. Lane said direct mail, social media and word-of-mouth were the most effective communication tools reported by residents.

Lane also outlined service-radius mapping showing community parks generally serve a 1–2 mile radius while neighborhood parks serve about a mile, and she presented an additional slide to highlight potentially underserved areas. The presentation covered seven strategic goals: (1) park safety using CPTED (crime prevention through environmental design) evaluations and coordination with public safety partners; (2) stewardship and biodiversity improvements; (3) accessibility and inclusion beyond minimum standards, including scholarships and staff training; (4) reinvestment in existing facilities and sustainability over unchecked expansion; (5) maintenance and preventive planning; (6) diversified funding strategies and life-cycle cost analysis; and (7) public engagement and partnerships.

Lane asked council and residents to submit written feedback (asking that comments be copied to Deb and Sean) and said staff will post the plan on the town website and host the Jan. 22 public meeting; she said the council will not vote on the plan at that hearing and that final adoption is expected after feedback is incorporated in February or March. Council members had no substantive questions and thanked Lane for a “thorough” presentation.

The parks department provided a printed handout to council members. Residents who cannot attend the Jan. 22 hearing are invited to submit comments via the online form that Lane said will accompany the posted plan.