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Consultants say Penfield residents favor new recreation center and renovating library
Summary
A Barton & Loguidice planner told the Penfield Town Board that phase‑one outreach for ‘Penfield Forward’ drew 528 survey responses and prioritized recreation and library improvements; staff will develop preliminary recommendations and present them at a summer public workshop.
Consultants working on the town’s Penfield Forward facilities study told the Town Board on June 17 that residents ranked recreation facilities highest for future investment and generally prefer renovating the existing library rather than relocating it.
Grace DeSantis, a project community planner with Barton and Loguidice, said the phase‑one outreach included a March 2 workshop, focus groups, pop‑up events and an online and hard‑copy survey that produced 528 responses, exceeding the project’s sample target. “We did exceed that threshold with 528 responses,” DeSantis said, noting the sample gave the team confidence in headline findings.
Why it matters: the outreach will feed preliminary recommendations on how to phase long‑term improvements at town hall, the community center and other facilities. DeSantis said the data show a split picture: about 61% of survey respondents said town facilities meet needs “somewhat well” or “very well,” yet many also travel to neighboring communities for services they want.
The survey ranked the recreation department as the top priority for investments, followed by the library and then town hall; town courts and various park upgrades were lower on the list. Within the community center, respondents favored more space for recreation programming, large flexible multipurpose rooms and more library programming areas. DeSantis said more than half of respondents preferred renovating the library in its current location, citing walkability to neighborhoods and schools.
Recreation‑specific requests included additional indoor gym space, an indoor walking track, fitness facilities and interest in aquatics—with an outdoor pool drawing the most community interest, though DeSantis cautioned that pool options will require additional cost and liability study.
DeSantis said respondents also raised recurring concerns about accessibility, wayfinding and limited reservable space across facilities. She flagged an emerging idea—relocating the town courts away from the community center to reduce conflicting uses—but said that would require operational and safety analysis.
Next steps: staff will develop preliminary facility recommendations, return to the public with a summer workshop for feedback and present final recommendations later in the summer. “We’ll move into phase two to develop preliminary recommendations and then go back out for public review,” DeSantis told the board.
The presentation included references to existing plans the project will build on—the town’s comprehensive plan, the Recreation and Parks Master Plan and the library strategic plan—and staff said future phases will include cost estimates and tax‑impact information for residents to consider.
