New Bern Housing Authority and the City of New Bern
CHOICE NEIGHBORHOODS PLANNING GRANT
Trent Court/Craven Terrace/Greater Five Points Neighborhood
Recreation/Open Space/Green SpaceWorking Group
Tuesday, March 17 at 12:00pm
Stanley White Recreation Center
TOUR of study area recreation, open space and green space facilities
- Questions to consider during the tour, for each facility:
- Has the Parks & Recreation department (or other stakeholders) planned any specific improvements or other changes for the facility?
- Who does the facility serve?
- What activities are supported?
- How well is it used?
- What is the physical/landscape condition – good, acceptable, poor?
- Does it feel sufficiently safe?
- Is it sufficiently accessible to the community it is intended to serve? If not, how could it be made more accessible? (improved sidewalks, parking, bike path etc.)
- Who maintains the facility?
- Who is involved in programming/sponsoring activities (if any)?
- Besides parks and other dedicated green spaces, are there certain streets that deserve special attention because they need street trees or other landscape/appearance improvements? Are there certain streets that can serve as good models for others?
AFTER THE TOUR
- Re-convene with introductions (as needed)
- Identify/confirm a scribe to record discussion highlights and themes
- What do we want to accomplish at this meeting?
- Review of first meeting on March 3
- Review minutes – do they accurately reflect the discussion? Amend as necessary.
- Preliminary list of critical needs (based on needs assessment and community input)
- Biggest recreation/open space issues:
- More youth programming and recreation space is second-rated change residents would like to see happen (18%)
- Desired amenities include both outdoor recreation space (34%) and indoor recreation space (30%)
- Review of facilities seen on the tour
- Taken as a whole, how well does the group of facilities serve the community? Are there aspects of the facilities that are working especially well?
- Are certain community members or activities underserved?
- Review community preferences and past/standing plans related to recreation, open space and green space
- CNI community survey input on recreation/open space/green space needs and desires.
- Review Parks & Recreation Department master plan goals for the facilities.
- Review Gateway Renaissance plan goals & recommendations
- City’s pedestrian and bicycle plans
- Other relevant plans/initiatives
- Start developing recreation, open space, and green space vision, goals, and strategies
- What is your vision for recreation, open space, and green space in the community?
- Review sample matrix and strategies handout from previous meeting
- Start identifying key goals and outcomes to address critical needs identified above
- Identify the three most important improvements needed in the study area related to the critical needs identified above. Consider physical improvements to specific facilities, programming enhancements, access/street improvements and/or other initiatives that would help.
- Next steps
- What additional information is needed, if any, to finalize priorities and develop strategies that address critical needs?
- Do we need to engage any other stakeholders in this process (i.e. resident focus groups)?
- Activities for future Working Group meetings: finalize priorities and strategies; identify desired outcomes, available metrics, key partners, and resources
- Next meeting: Date, time, location
DRAFT